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“Come on Wei Ying, tell me which of the Lan disciples is your particular favourite!”
At the sound of the question, Lan Zhan stopped meditating and cracked an eye open to observe. The newcomers Wei Ying and the one they called Huaisang were standing a few feet away obscured behind some shrubbery. They couldn’t see him. He felt an uncomfortable awkwardness in his chest. He shouldn’t listen to their conversation. Eavesdropping was against the rules…
“The one I like has long dark hair, and a perfect smile, he is truly the handsomest Lan!” Wei Ying announced with his usual levels of endless enthusiasm.
Lan Zhan's shoulders dropped. That description had to be his brother. So Wei Ying liked his brother. He tried to ignore the heavy disappointed feeling as it washed over him. As much as he tried to ignore Wei Ying, he had to admit that the boy was irreversibly etched into his heart but it seemed the feeling wasn’t mutual.
“Are you going to talk to him about it?” Huaisang asked.
“Maybe I will…” Wei Ying said with a grin.
They walked away and Lan Zhan tried to return to his meditation but soon found it was pointless. He gave up and practiced his sword techniques instead. After a little while, Huaisang appeared again sliding up beside him like an animal hunting for food scraps.
“Ahhh Lan Wangji…” he said cautiously.
Lan Zhan halted and stared at Huaisang expectantly.
Huaisang shifted from foot to foot nervously. “If someone liked you…and I mean…like…liked you…what kind of behaviour would tempt you to like them back?”
Lan Zhan frowned then panicked. Why would Huaisang ask such a question? Then the answer came to him. Huaisang must like him! Lan Zhan was truly horrified at the prospect. He had to think of a way to put him off the ridiculous notion.
“For a person to be truly worthy of my love they would need to be able to recite all of the Lan rules by heart…” he announced coldly then walked away. There. That would put a stop to that silly nonsense. There was only one person Lan Zhan wanted to be with, he wasn’t interested in any other offers.
**********
Later while Lan Zhan and the older Jade walked the grounds…Lan Xichen gave his little brother a funny look. “I know you do not smile very often Wangji, but must you scowl at me so?”
Lan Zhan blinked and rearranged his face. He hadn’t realised he had been showing his feelings so plainly on the surface.
“Are you angry with me?” Lan Xichen asked. Lan Zhan shook his head. “There is someone…someone who I believe…likes you,” he mumbled.
“Likes me?” Lan Xichen echoed. “And this makes you unhappy?”
Lan Zhan nodded. “It is Wei Ying,” he confessed, knowing full well his brother was already keenly aware of his strange preference for the troublesome disciple.
“Ahhhh,” Lan Xichen said. “Are you sure of this?”
Lan Zhan nodded miserably.
“How did you come about this information?” Lan Xichen enquired.
Lan Zhan shuffled his feet on the ground. “He was questioned as to his inclination and he announced that the one he likes has long dark hair, a perfect smile and is the handsomest Lan.”
Lan Xichen smiled. “This is high praise indeed and I feel very honoured that you believe it is bestowed upon myself but how can you be sure young master Wei did not have someone else in mind when he spoke these words?”
“Who else could it be?” Lan Zhan asked.
“You,” Lan Xichen said plainly.
Lan Zhan blinked and shook his head. “I never smile.”
“That is not exactly true…you do smile on occasion, and I would dare say that anyone who is subject to a rare glimpse of it would describe it as perfect.”
Lan Zhan blushed and looked down. “He was talking about you,” he said forcefully.
Lan Xichen laughed lightly as he walked away. “We shall see soon enough, let us observe what Wei Ying does next then we will know of his true feelings.”
Lan Zhan sighed miserably at his words.
**********
At dinner, Wei Ying tried to catch Lan Zhan’s eye but the younger Jade kept his eyes firmly fixed on his plate of plain rice and vegetables. As difficult as it was not to look at Wei Ying when he was purposefully trying to draw his attention, Lan Zhan knew they would have to stop spending time together or he would never be free of his feelings for the mischievous student. It was hard to see Wei Ying looking so glum and dejected as he left but Lan Zhan knew it was for the best.
That evening, after another failed meditation attempt, Lan Zhan was roaming the perimeter when he noticed a light was on in the library. He frowned. It was too late for anyone to be assigned for duty there. Lan Zhan entered the library and was surprised to find Wei Ying asleep across one of the tables. Lan Zhan walked towards him soundlessly and observed him fondly for a moment. Wei Ying’s arms and upper body were sprawled across a large number of furiously scribbled on bits of parchment. He was facing Lan Zhan so Wangji crouched down to self-indulgently gaze at Wei Ying’s long eyelashes and slightly parted full lips as he slept. Lan Zhan let out a little longful sigh. Maybe if he wasn’t so beautiful, it would be easier to let him go. He stood and slipped one of the pieces of paper out from under Wei Ying’s head. Wei Ying was copying the rules again. Was this a punishment? Lan Zhan wasn’t aware of any recent infractions… then his eyes caught on another piece of paper. It was a picture, a picture of a tiny disciple with a speech bubble coming out of his mouth saying “rule number 670…” and then another figure, this one with Lan Zhan written above his head with little hearts and clouds drawn around the words. The second figure was watching the first one with a soft smile on his face. Lan Zhan frowned. This didn’t make sense. Was Wei Ying learning the rules because…but…wasn’t Huaisang the one who liked him? It couldn’t be…
“Only three thousand and six to go…” Wei Ying mumbled suddenly before immediately falling back to sleep.
Lan Zhan finally allowed his brain to put the pieces of the puzzle he was collecting together in the right order. Wei Ying had been talking about him that day, Wei Ying sent Huaisang to ask him what he liked in a person and now Wei Ying was trying to learn all 4,000 Lan clan rules in order to impress the one he liked most… which was him. Lan Zhan. Not Lan Xichen. His heart soared and he resisted the urge to lean down and wrap his arms around the sleeping bundle that was Wei Ying. Instead he cleared his throat and watched with amusement as his sleeping beauty jolted into consciousness.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying said happily, sitting up. He looked down at the table before him. “Ahhh…I’m just…mmm…”
“You are practising the rules,” Lan Zhan stated.
“Erh…yes,” Wei Ying said with a shy smile.
Lan Zhan shook his head. “There is no need.”
“What?” Wei Ying asked with a cute little crease in his forehead. “But you said…”
“You do not need to practise the rules if your aim is to impress me.”
Wei Ying opened his mouth to argue and then closed it again. He looked down at the desk. “You don’t want me to do this for you?” he said sadly.
Lan Zhan almost smiled but held his composure. “I said you do not need to. You do not need to do this to impress me because I already like Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying’s eyes snapped up towards Lan Zhan’s face. “What?” he squeaked. “You like me? Truly?”
Lan Zhan nodded and started to walk away. “Come.”
Wei Ying blinked for a moment then stood and followed him out of the library. As soon as they stepped out into the night air, he broke into a skip. “Where are we going?” he asked excitedly.
Lan Zhan didn’t reply. He led them to a roof and produced a jar of Emperor's smile seemingly from nowhere. Wei Ying was delighted as he accepted the jar with greedy fingers. “Lan Zhan! You hid this for me? You really do like me!”
Lan Zhan smiled briefly as he handed the jar over. Their fingers brushed and Wei Ying let out a little sigh. “I was right, your smile is perfect,” he said softly. “I only saw it once before, when a rabbit tugged at your robes with its little mouth. The moment I saw that smile…I knew you were in my heart forever.”
Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying and impulsively put an arm around his waist drawing him closer. His reward for his out of character gesture was seeing Wei Ying bite his bottom lip and glance back at him with sparkling, hopeful eyes. Lan Zhan decided that he wouldn’t ignore his desires any longer. At least not when those desires were related to Wei Ying.
“Are you going to kiss me now?” Asked the beautiful man encapsulated in his arms.
Everyday… Lan Zhan thought to himself as he finally joined their lips together.
**********