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Chapter Text

“Sit down, Wangji.”

Wangji straightened from his bow at the door, and walked over to sit across Lan Qiren at the table. Tea was already poured, and Lan Qiren took a sip of his own cup before speaking.

“I summoned you to discuss an important matter with you,” he started. Wangji sat looking attentively, though also a little nervously, at his uncle with his hands folded in his lap. “It is about time you considered marriage.”

His nephew’s eyes widened in visible shock. Lan Qiren continued as if he didn’t notice the reaction.

“I have already found a candidate. He is the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang, as well as the ward of Sect Leader Jiang, and is well liked and respected by his peers. I have heard great things about his sword work and use of talismans. We already have ties to the Jin and Nie through your brother. A marriage to the Jiangs would benefit the sect greatly.”

Lan Wangji looked like he wanted to protest, but Lan Qiren merely raised an eyebrow to quell any complaints.

“At least meet the boy. I have arranged for you to meet while we negotiate the engagement. Perhaps you will find him an agreeable companion.”

Wangji gave what passed for a sigh, and nodded. “As you wish, Uncle.”

Lan Qiren took another sip of tea, patting himself on the back for raising such a good boy.

…

Lan Qiren had not been able to meet with Wei Wuxian personally before the wedding, but since Xichen had given him glowing approval after accompanying Wangji to discuss their engagement, he was certain he had made the right choice. Wangji also seemed quite happy after the meeting, even openly showing signs of excitement. Seeing his normally stoic nephew so enthusiastic gave him comfort that this alliance would be good for not only the sect, but also his family.

He had heard some worrying rumors about the Jiang sects ward, but since Xichen had given him such high praise, he supposed there couldn’t be much credence to those rumors. Besides, gossiping was forbidden.

Other than being slightly fidgety during the ceremony, and loud during the following banquet, Lan Qiren didn’t have any complaints about Wei Wuxian so far. He had very belief that his new nephew-in-law would adapt to their rules and settle in nicely to life in the Cloud recesses. Inwardly he congratulated himself on a match well made, and basked in the tiny smile visible on his youngest nephew’s face.

…

Lan Qiren was awake. The clock had long since passed nine, but he was unable to fall asleep. Again. Unfortunately, this was becoming a common occurrence since making the greatest mistake of his life.

Screams of “LAN-ER-GEGE” and “Lan ZHAN so MEAN,” as well as many other unintelligible noises, could be heard even through both his and the Jingshi’s closed windows, nevermind the distance from the other end of the living quarters, and the pillows that were covering each of his ears to their best ability.

The first time his ears and peace of mind had been violated, he was asleep in his bed, not knowing what torment lay before him. His nephew and that terrible boy had completed their bows that same day, and Lan Qiren had still had his sanity intact. He had bolted upright in bed, ready to grab his sword and rush to the aid of whoever was seemingly being murdered right outside his window. The realization had dawned on him like a rock to the head when he was already halfway out the door. No one was being murdered, unfortunately, though he wouldn’t mind rectifying that himself.

They are newlyweds, he had thought in an attempt to calm his sky-rocketing blood-pressure. It is to be expected.

He did not know just how wrong he had been.

They were now nearing two months of being married, but their enthusiasm had not decreased in the slightest. Lan Qiren thought if anything they had only gotten more enthusiastic. Wei Wuxian had certainly gotten louder.

He thought back to his smug satisfaction at the wedding. This is my punishment, surely, for holding myself in such high esteem. Another improbably loud scream from his nephew-in-law made him physically cringe. I did this, he thought, staring unseeingly at the ceiling. Writing lines will not be enough punishment to rectify this great sin I have commited. He briefly contemplated sticking something in his ears to permanently damage his hearing to escape. I could blame it on my old age, he mused as he rubbed circles into his temples. The migraine showed no sign of improving, but it was worth an attempt.

No, he decided. I cannot abandon my sect to bear this burden alone. A long and drawn out sigh left his lungs without his permission. I must atone for my foolish mistake.

…

When Lan Wangji came to Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren one day wondering why the Jingshi was plastered with silencing talismans, he only got an uncharacteristically hostile glare from the bloodshot eyes of his brother, and a long-suffering sigh from his uncle. “Do not remove them,” Lan Qiren commanded. “Whatever you do, do not remove them.”

Chapter Text

Sneaking around the Cloud Recesses in the middle of the night with several stacks of silencing talismans stashed in each of his sleeves was not what Lan Xichen had pictureded himself doing when agreeing to accompany his little brother to negotiate his betrothal to one Wei Wuxian two months prior. Thinking back to how innocently gleeful he had been at the chance to tease his younger brother, he cursed himself for not thinking further ahead.

...

Both Twin Jades had been nervous when departing the Cloud Recesses on their swords. Lan Wangji was shy by nature, and had a hard time communicating his thoughts to those who did not already know him well. This was a constant worry for his doting older brother, who tried his best to act as a translator to avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings. He knew this also weighed heavily on his brother’s mind. It would not be particularly fun to sit in awkward silence for as long as either he or his husband lived.

Neither brother had met the Jiang sect’s ward before, as he was usually left behind at Lotus Pier when the Jiangs went to discussion conferences. They hadn’t been invited to visit the sect recently either, which was probably part of his Uncle’s reasoning for making a marriage alliance with them. He had mentioned Wei Wuxian’s talents and status as head disciple when pitching the engagement to Lan Xichen, but little was known of his personality besides being well liked among the other Jiang disciples and the Jiang family itself.

As they approached the gates of Lotus Pier, Lan Wangji’s shoulders climbed steadily towards his ears, the tension almost visibly radiating off him. At least visibly to Lan Xichen. The Jiangs probably wouldn't notice anything off with the youngest Jade. As it were, they were standing in the entrance waiting for the Gusu delegation to arrive.

Looking at Young Master Wei, Wangji wasn't the only one with reservations about an arranged marriage. He was standing with his arms crossed, pouting theatrically at Jiang Yanli who was patting his shoulder comfortingly. Madam Yu barked something at them, and they both straightened to stand with their arms at their sides.

While Madam Yu was busy greeting Lan Xichen, Wei Wuxian leaned in to whisper something to Jiang Yanli, who subtly pointed in the direction of Lan Wangji. Luckily, it was Lan Wangji’s turn to greet the Jiangs so Lan Xichen was able to observe his future brother-in-law. A faint blush was spreading on his face as he stared incredulously at Lan Wangji, and a huge grin split his face nearly in half. Interesting , Lan Xichen thought, a mischievous glimt appearing in his eyes.

Since the Lans had dismounted their swords to enter Lotus Pier, Lan Wangji had steadfastly refused to look in the direction of his betrothed. He had already met both Jiang siblings, so the black-clad man standing next to them could be none other than Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen turned back to his brother just in time to also witness his reaction to seeing his future husband for the first time. His darling baby brother’s ears turned red the second he made eye-contact with Young Master Wei, and hurriedly averted his gaze. Oh, delightful . 

Lan Xichen was having a very good time. After the initial introductions had been made, they had been shown to their quarters for the duration of their stay. He got changed out of his travel robes, and went to see if his brother was ready for dinner. Lan Wangiji was just exiting his own room when Lan Xichen found him.

“Wangji!”

“Brother,” he nodded in acknowledgement. 

“So,” Lan Xichen started, serene smile in place. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes in suspicion, the tone in his brother’s voice instantly ringing the I’m About to Get Teased alarm bells in his head. “What do you think of Yunmeng so far?” Lan Xichen blinked innocently.

“It seems… quite acceptable,” Wangji replied, still looking at him with far more suspicion than the question should have warranted. They started to walk together towards where the welcoming dinner would be held

“And what of Young Master Wei? You seemed to think he was more than just acceptable earlier if your ears are any indication,” Lan Xichen tried not to grin too hard at his brother, he really did. His older-brother instincts however, were too powerful to contain.

“Brother!” Lan Wangji’s pink ears were too cute! How was he supposed to resist teasing when it was this much fun? He got the opportunity all too rarely.

“Young Master Wei also seemed to approve quite a bit, do you not think so, Wangji?”

Lan Wangji ignored him, looking straight ahead with great concentration, ears becoming increasingly flushed.

“You have just met and already the sparks are flying! Who would have thought, my baby brother, such a charmer!” 

Said baby brother had evidently had enough, his pace increasing noticeably.

“Wangji! Let us go together so you do not get lost!” Lan Wangji’s speed toed the edge of rule-breaking,, and Lan Xichen had to make full use of his long legs to keep up with him. 

…

Dinner went excellent. Wei Wuxian was seated next to Lan Wangji, and for the duration of the meal chattered animatedly at him in between bites of food. Lan Wangji could not respond without breaking any rules, but every time Lan Xichen looked over to see how his brother was doing he was paying close attention. Even if he wasn't able to maintain eye-contact without blushing furiously, he seemed to be able to communicate with short looks and more eyebrow work than Lan Xichen had seen from him since he mastered the emotionless Lan mask. 

At one point it looked like Yu Ziyuan was about to scold Wei Wuxian for something, and Lan Xichen hurriedly put down his chopsticks to be able to distract her with questions about Lotus Pier. He figured this would be appropriate payment for the amount of teasing remarks his brother would have to withstand from him in the coming days, weeks, hopefully years. The thought alone gave him great peace, more than enough to make up for him sacrificing his dinner so his precious brother could have a nice time with the man he was going to marry in a few months time.

When everybody had finished eating, and some speeches had been made by both sides, it was too close to 9 pm to have time for much else. Thus, the Lan sect members retreated to their assigned quarters for the night.

Lan Xichen woke up some time after midnight, hunger making itself known quite harshly. He decided it wouldn't hurt to see if the kitchens had anything readily available they could spare. As he walked along the walkways in the direction of what he thought was the kitchens, he heard a muffled giggle from somewhere to his right. Stopping up to try and discern where the sound had come from, he heard some splashing and more giggles. Slightly familiar giggles…

Taking the next right turn on the path, Lan Xichen came to a small dock, at the end of which sat a pair of young men. One in bright white robes, hair falling loosely down his back, the other in black robes, hair tied into a messy ponytail with a red ribbon. Both had their robes bunched up to their knees, feet dangling over the edge of the dock. The black-clad one leaned his shoulder into the other, the bright moonlight revealing an equally bright smile on his face. His feet occasionally dipped to splash water at his companion who sat there watching with obvious contentment.

Lan Xichen felt a smile stretch his face and backed away as silently as he could and returned to his mission of not starving. I will make sure this marriage happens no matter what .

...

Back in the present, Lan Xichen is startled by a twig snapping nearby. Only having the light of the moon to see by, he could only make out the outline of a person standing half-way between two houses. They were both frozen mid-step, and Lan Xichen considered turning tail and running back to the Hanshi when his uncle’s voice sounded from his fellow curfew-breaker.

“Who goes there? Do you know what time it is?! Curfew has long since passed,” Lan Qiren whispered furiously, straightening his spine and setting his foot down in a valiant attempt to appear unruffled.

“Uncle?”

“...”

“...”

“...Xichen?”

Lan Xichen approached slowly, taking care not to make any noise. “What are you doing out so late, Uncle?” 

“I could ask you the same, Nephew,” Lan Qiren answered brusquely, raising a pointed eyebrow. Lan Xichen sheepishly pulled a bound stack of talismans from one of his sleeves, feeling like a scolded teenager instead of the sect leader he was.  

“I apologize for breaking curfew, Uncle, but I could not sleep.”

Lan Qiren took the stack of talismans to inspect. “Ah,” he said. “It seems we have the same purpose tonight,” he pulled an identical stack of talismans from his own sleeve. Lan Xichen huffed a small laugh. “Shall we continue on, then?” He gestured in the direction of the Jingshi. His companion in suffering nodded solemnly.

Together they worked efficiently, Lan Xichen in front hanging up talismans, with Lan Qiren trailing behind activating each new addition to the walls. When they finished, they stood side by side admiring their handywork. 

“I believe there is still some time until breakfast if you want to try to get some rest, Uncle.”

“Indeed. You should also get some rest, Xichen, you have certainly earned it.” Lan Qiren clapped his nephew on the shoulder. Their eyes met, both understanding the silent agreement to never speak of this again. They turned away from each other and left in separate directions to return to their own beds, hopefully without any more interruptions.