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It was a well-known fact that the inner disciples of the Lan Clan were descended from dragons. To be fair, no one seemed to know quite what that meant. There were all sorts of rumors of course. Everything from having a few draconic traits that they might keep hidden to actually being real dragons themselves. Whatever the truth was, most of the sects knew that it was unwise to offend the Lans. There had not been an outright attack the Cloud Recesses that had succeeded in centuries. There had been a few attacks due to subterfuge or betrayal, and while those might have worked in the short run, those behind them had not enjoyed their victories for long.
It was one of the reasons that just about every sect was willing to send their heirs to the Cloud Recesses for lectures. Between the fact that no one wanted to raise the ire of the Lans and the fact that if someone attacked they'd have just about every other sect against them, it was one of the safest places to be. Which was probably why the sects kept sending people to the lectures. Wei Ying couldn't complain too much. Some of the material they were covering was fascinating even if Teacher Lan was a rather boring teacher. The lessons had such potential to be far more engaging than they actually were.
Still, he was glad to be here if only so for the chance to meet Lan Zhan. Not only was he a great deal of fun to tease, but he was one of the very few people who could keep up with We Ying in a fight. He wasn't entirely sure of Lan Zhan was just tolerating him or if he actually enjoyed their sparring. He had seemed to enjoy the rabbits that Wei Ying had gifted him though. Wei Ying had caught him several times mediating with rabbit on his lap or practicing his guqin with an audience of rabbits. The later had been a sight he couldn't help sketching. The drawing was almost finished, but he wanted to add a few more details before he presents it to Lan Zhan.
As odd as it is to say, Wei Ying rather liked it here in Cloud Recesses. It was different than Lotus Pier, yes, and he definitely had an itch to break the rules at times, but he did enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere here. It was nice not to have to tread on eggshells since Madam Yu and her temper weren't around. People here were also less likely to compare him and Jiang Cheng to one another which made things more comfortable for the both of them. Plus the library here was amazing, and he'd already come up with so many ideas for talismans that he wanted to try out.
He lounged on the branch of a tree that he'd taken up residence in. Wei Ying had a free afternoon, and he wasn't sure what to do with himself at the moment. He wasn't in the mood to go down to Caiyi, and both Nie Hauisang and his shijie were busy. Jiang Cheng was annoyed at him once again for something he couldn't control, and he hadn't been able to find Lan Zhan. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself, and he wasn't in the mood to cause mischief.
Which was why he was in the right place at the right time to see Lan Xichen storming up the path. Wei Ying blinked. He didn't think he'd ever seen the man in a temper before. He instinctively froze in place, but that didn't save him from the older man's gaze. Lan Xichen smiled at him.
"Ah, Wei Wuxian, why don't you come with me?"
It didn't exactly sound like a request. Which was why Wei Ying soon found himself being led to what was clearly Lan Xichen's personal residence. However, here he was sipping tea and nibbling on sweets that that Lan Sect Leader had provided while the man combed his hair. Wei Ying didn't exactly mind. No one really pampered him like this except for his shijie, and Lan Xichen seemed quite happy to share all sorts of stories about Lan Zhan. Still, Wei Ying was insanely curious about why he was being aggressively cuddled by one of the Twin Jades of Lan.
Even so, it was something of a relief when Lan Zhan appeared with Nie Huaisang trailing behind him.
"Wangji, A-Sang, come join us! I'll do your hair next, A-Sang."
Wei Ying was a little surprised to be expected to stay once he traded places with Huaisang, but he let Lan Zhan pull him into a corner.
"Is your brother all right?" he whispered before the other teen could say anything.
"Mn. Brother is fine. He just needs a distraction. There was an assassination attempt on Sect Leader Nie. It failed but it came from someone who both brother and Nie Mingjue trusted. Brother would prefer to be dealing with the issue himself, but that could reflect poorly on the Nie Sect having another Sect Leader swoop in even if everyone knows that he and Nie Mingjue are close friends. So, Xiong-zhang needed a different outlet. And he can be a little over protective."
It was probably the most that Wei Ying had heard Lan Zhan talk.
"But why me? I mean, I get Huaisang or you, but me? I'm nothing to your brother."
The tips of Lan Zhan's ears turned red. "He is aware of my fondness for you therefore you must be protected."
That was all the explanation that he got before Lan Xichen called his brother over so he could do his hair as well. The three of them ended up eating dinner with Lan Xichen, and for a brief moment of time, Wei Ying was concerned that they were going to be invited to spend the night in his home as well. But Lan Zhan managed to convinced him to let them leave, offering to walk Huaisang and Wei Ying back to their guest quarters.
Once they were out of earshot of Lan Xichen's home, Lan Zhan spoke.
"I appreciate you indulging brother today."
Huaisang waved him off with a shrug. "Not to worry. It will probably make Da-ge feel better to know he was keeping an eye on me anyway. Besides, I'm hardly going to complain about a little pampering."
It felt like Wei Ying was missing part of the picture here, but he did his best to keep his curiosity in check. It was enough that he'd been included so far. Or at least that's what he told himself. Maybe he could get Huaisang to spill about his brother's relationship with Lan Xichen. Clearly something was going on there.
But things seemed to go back to normal after that. At least, Wei Ying wasn't accosted by Lan Xichen again. He was looking for Lan Zhan in the back hills one afternoon when they'd been given some free time when he found himself freezing in his tracks. In the clearing ahead of him was a large white dragon whose body was coiled around Nie Mingjue. The Nie Sect Leader seemed completely at ease with the dragon who had its head resting in his lap.
Wei Ying carefully back down the path he had arrived one once he realized that they hadn't noticed him yet. He had so many questions. It wasn't that surprising to see Sect Leader Nie here he supposed given how close he and Lan Xichen apparently were, but the dragon was another story. Everyone knew dragons existed of course, but actually seeing them was something else entirely. He couldn't imagine cuddling with one, but that was clearly what he had seen. Not that anyone would believe him if he told anyone what he saw.
Nie Mingjue hadn't seemed at all surprised or upset that he was being cuddled by a dragon. Which implied that he knew about the dragon. Of course, that would explain a thing or two about the Lans if all of their rules were because there were dragons living in Cloud Recesses, though he couldn't see why dragons would care if you drank or not. Maybe Lan Zhan would know. Was the dragon some sort of secret? That didn't make sense if Sect Leader Nie knew about it, but then he and Lan Xichen were close so perhaps he'd been let in on the secret because of that.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice anyone else on the path until he had walked right into Lan Zhan.
"Wei Ying."
He blinked at the other man. "Lan Zhan, there's a dragon in the back hills."
"Mn." Lan Zhan didn't look ruffled by that at all.
"It was cuddling Nie Mingjue."
Lan Zhan just sighed at that. "Nie Mingjue will be fine. Xiong-zhang won't let any harm come to him while he's here."
Wei Ying spent several moments trying to figure out how a cultivator, even one as strong as Zewu-Jun, could protect someone from a dragon before his mind came up with another possibility.
"Lan Zhan, your brother's a dragon?"
"Mn."
Wei Ying blinked. "Does that mean you're a dragon too? And your uncle? If your uncle's a dragon, why hasn't he eaten me yet? Is everyone in your sect a dragon or just the main bloodline? How come no one knows your dragons? Are there rules about--"
His stream of questions was cut off by a silencing spell. Lan Zhan gave him a look.
"Come with me."
Lan Zhan led him along another path to a small field where he spotted a pair of bunnies frolicking.
"Sit."
Wei Ying sat only to have Lan Zhan place a rabbit in his lap. He idly started petting it.
"Lan An's wife was a dragon. Not all of their descendants inheirited her draconic nature, though a few in every generation do. In my father's generation it was just my father and his cousin, so Uncle is not a dragon. Xiong-zhang and I both did as did two of our cousins."
"That's so cool. What sort of powers do you have? Do you look like your brother? How--"
"Wei Ying."
Lan Zhan stood and backed away from him slightly. Then between one blink and another, Wei Ying was sharing the space with a large white dragon. There were some slight differences between him and his brother; the scales on his belly were a pale blue instead of Lan Xichen's pale green. He was probably the most beautiful thing Wei Ying had ever seen.
The rabbit in his lap twitched its nose, but other than that showed no sign of distress about the fact that it was now just feet away from a dragon. Lan Zhan just looked at him for a long moment and then he was back to his normal self. He seated himself once again, and one of the other rabbits hopped into his lap. He actually seemed quite willing to talk about dragons once Wei Ying stopped bombarding him with questions. But there was still one mystery lingering in his mind at least.
"So, your brother seems rather cuddly for a dragon."
Lan Zhan sighed. "Xiong-zhang has a tendency to hoard people. There aren't many but enough, and he tends to get very tactile with them."
Wei Ying tried to wrap his head around the idea that Nie Mingjue was part of a dragon's hoard and seemed to at least tolerate it if not enjoy it. But that also raised another question.
"What do you hoard, Lan Zhan?"
The tops of Lan Zhan's ears turned red. "Music, rabbits, books."
"Huh."
Most of that made sense. The rabbits surprised him a little, but that actually made sense if he thought about it. At least now he had some ideas if he ever wanted to get Lan Zhan another present. Wei Ying let out a soft sigh and pet the rabbit in his lap, his mind whirling with way too many thoughts. Still, it was a fascinating secret.
"Who else knows about you?"
Lan Zhan shrugged. "The other sect leaders know that there are dragons in the Lan Sect, though most do not know exactly who they they are. Nie Mingjue is an exception."
"Because he's part of your brother's hoard?"
"Mn. And because they would be married if they weren't both sect leaders."
That was also something Wei Ying hadn't known. Everyone knew that Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen were great friends, but he hadn't realized that their relationship was quite so close. Then again, the Lans seemed to play things very close to their chests when it came to their emotions. It almost felt like he shouldn't have been let in on in this secret, but Wei Ying was determined to prove himself worthy of that trust. He and Lan Zhan sat there and played with the bunnies for quite some time before heading back to the main part of the compound.
Now that he was aware of the Lans' secret, Wei Ying found himself paying closer attention to all the little hints and details in Cloud Recesses. He also found himself connecting the dots between certain habits that both the Twin Jades shared. Sect Leader Nie seemed to be sticking around for a visit of at least a few days much to Huaisang's consternation. Not that they really saw much of him. He did drag Huaisang off to saber practice most days, but other than that, you wouldn't really know he was in Cloud Recesses unless you glimpsed him occasionally with Lan Xichen.
Wei Ying found himself dragged to Caiyi with Huaisang and Jiang Cheng. He didn't really mind, though he wouldn't have minded tracking Lan Zhan down and picking his brain some more about dragons. He'd come up with all sorts of questions since the last time they'd really had a chance to talk about it. Like how do dragons manage on the Lan's vegetarian diet? How much time does he spend in his dragon form? Wei Ying had dozens of them to ask.
One of the stands selling various trinkets catches his eye, and he wandered over to browse, leaving Huaisang and Jiang Cheng to argue over where to go for dinner. The display was full of woodcarvings, everything from children's toys to delicate combs. The one that had caught his eye in particular was shaped little a rabbit and carved from sandalwood. He rather thought that Lan Zhan would like it. He's busy haggling with the seller to notice that he's been abandoned by his brother and friend. And that he wasn't the only one doing a little shopping.
After emerging triumphant with the comb purchased, Wei Ying found Lan Xichen and Lan Zhan just a few stalls down, examining the ware there. Before he could call out a greeting, Nie Mingjue appeared, handing a small package to Lan Xichen. Wei Ying couldn't see what it was but from the way that Lan Xichen's face lit up, it must have been something special. Watching the two of them interact like this though, it was clear that they were rather besotted with one another. Wei Ying hadn't meant to get caught watching the group, but Lan Zhan caught his eye and was heading his way before Wei Ying could come up with a good response.
"Wei Ying."
"Hey, Lan Zhan. I didn't know that you were coming to Caiyi today. We could have come together. Jiang Cheng and Huaisang abandoned me on my lonesome."
"Mn. Wei Ying should join us for dinner then."
That was not the response he was expecting, but Lan Xichen looked delighted at the idea.
"I wouldn't want to impose," he started.
"No imposition," Lan Xichen cut him off. "Wangji would appreciate the company, so he's not just stuck with two older brothers."
Before he could muster any other protests, Wei Ying found himself swept off to a restaurant that was clearly familiar with Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue. The four of the were led to a table in the back that was tucked out of sight of most of the place. Lan Xichen struck up a conversation about night hunting that lasted until they ordered their food. It was clear that Lan Zhan was quite comfortable with Nie Mingjue, and the other man was used to Lan Zhan's normal reticence. Wei Ying didn't think he'd ever heard Lan Zhan hold as long a conversation as he did. Once the food arrived, the Lan brothers fell silent, but Nie Mingjue kept speaking with him about the talisman ideas he'd had and how they could be used.
It was surprisingly comfortable and domestic. Wei Ying wasn't sure if he'd had such a fun dinner in a long time. Even when it was just himself and his siblings these days their meals had a little bit of tension to them. All three of them knew that things would be changing in the next few years with Shijie's marriage and as Jiang Cheng took on more responsibilities as Sect Heir. After dessert, the four of them back towards Cloud Recesses. There was a cool breeze that danced around them, and Wei Ying felt surprisingly content.
"So, Xichen says you've been let in on the secret," Nie Mingjue said as they were halfway up the stairs.
Wei Ying nearly tripped over his own feet. Lan Zhan steadied him.
"Ah, yes?"
"Still wrapping your head around? It is a bit of shock when you first find out." Sect Leader Nie patted him on the shoulder. "It's good to know that there's someone else who can lend a hand in a pinch."
"Wei Ying is a good ally to have," Lan Zhan said.
Nie Mingjue laughed. "I'm sure. Have you told your uncle yet?"
Lan Zhan shook his head. "Shufu has enough to worry about at the moment."
Wei Ying felt like he was missing something. Still, he wasn't going to complain. It had been an enjoyable dinner, and Nie Mingjue hadn't been nearly as scary as Huaisang had made him out to be. The four of the parted ways once reaching the top of the stairs. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue disappeared off in the direction of what Wei Ying assumed was Lan Xichen's home while Lan Zhan led him in a slightly different direction. It wasn't too long before they came to small house set away from most of the other residences.
"Is this your home?"
"Mn."
The two of them settled on the porch with Lan Zhan summoning his guqin. As he played, Wei Ying found himself relaxing. This was nice. It took him some time to realize that there was a glistening white tail curled around him. Other than that Lan Zhan looked completely normal, but it was hard to miss the tail. It did seem to suit him. Lan Zhan looked very much like the mythical creature he was. The tail tightened a little where it was wrapped around him.
"Lan Zhan, are you hoarding me?"
"Mn. A little. Does Wei Ying mind?"
He considered this. Did he mind being important to Lan Zhan? Not at all. He was still a little uncertain what being hoarded entailed, but it couldn't be that bad. Especially if it meant spending time with Lan Zhan. He was certainly Wei Ying's favorite part of Cloud Recesses. It was very easy to imagine the two of them night hunting together for the rest of their lives.
"I don't think so." He grinned at Lan Zhan. "Are you sure you want to hoard me though?"
"Mn. Wei Ying is precious."
He could feel himself blushing. "Lan Zhan!"
Lan Zhan set his guqin aside and came over and kissed his forehead. "Wei Ying is a part of my hoard which means he must get used to being cherished."
"It almost sounds like you like me."
Lan Zhan smiled, and Wei Ying felt his heart race.
"Lan Zhan, you can't do that to me without warning. My heart can't take it."
"Mn. I'm going to kiss you now."
That was all the warning he got before soft lips were pressed against his own. Wei Ying kissed back. When Lan Zhan pulled away, that delicate little smile was still on his lips. If this was what being hoarded was going to be like, Wei Ying didn't think he was going to mind.