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The town market was loud and bright. Vendors called out to customers, children ran and chased each other, and Lan Zhan glided like an immortal through the crowd, leaving brief pockets of awed silence behind him. Wei Wuxian didn't bother to hide his grin at the sight, and while Lan Zhan glanced at him questioningly, he only looked fond when Wei Wuxian shook his head. Lan Zhan never fully appreciated the effect he had on others.
He only cared about the effect he had on Wei Wuxian. Ridiculous, wonderful man.
However, Wei Wuxian's current self-appointed task couldn't be done with that ridiculous, wonderful man. "Lan Zhan," he said, enjoying his husband's immediate attention, "how about we meet back at the inn in a shichen?"
Lan Zhan blinked at him in momentary confusion, but it swiftly cleared. He nodded once and then stepped forwards to kiss him goodbye properly, one of those long, lingering kisses that ended with the slight pressure of teeth on his lower lip as they broke away. “A shichen,” he said softly, his eyes warm.
Wei Wuxian watched him walk off into the crowd, evidently on a task of his own, for he was not going in the direction of the inn at all. He watched until the fluttering tails of his forehead ribbon were lost in the crowd.
Only when he could no longer see any trace of Lan Zhan did he turn to his own task, a stall he’d seen somewhat behind them that he’d had to work very hard to make sure that Lan Zhan didn’t notice his interest in and ruin his planned surprise.
He weaved his way back through the crowds until he stood in front of the stall he'd noticed earlier. The glint of metal, precious stones, and polished wood caught the attention of many shoppers, though only a few stopped to peruse the wares.
"Welcome, gongzi," the shopkeeper said cheerfully when Wei Wuxian didn't immediately move on. "Are you looking for a gift for your sweetheart? You've come to the right place! My hairpins and combs are crafted beautifully, guaranteed to make your wife smile."
Wei Wuxian grinned -- his Lan Zhan was unlikely to smile, but he thought giving him a new hairpin would still make him happy. "Ahh, laobanniang, I am indeed looking for a hairpin. Is this everything you have?"
All the hair accessories looked well crafted, but they came from a variety of materials, from bamboo and wood to silver and gold. Only a few at the end looked to be made of jade. While Wei Wuxian didn't just want to get Lan Zhan the most expensive hairpin, jade would still be the most fitting for him.
“All I currently have is out, gongzi,” the shopkeeper said, leaning in just slightly, “although for a little more I could have one made to your specifications if you wished.” A smile ran over her face and misted her eyes. “There are some young lads that want a pin crafted to celebrate a special memory. It always gives me joy to see those pins in their ladies’ hair about the marketplace.”
The thought did seem tempting at first, but they had only intended to stay for a day or so. Not enough time, and nothing significant came to his mind at the moment.
He hoped the display here was varied enough that he could definitely find something that would be perfect for his Lan Zhan.
He leaned in to look closer at the display of jade, admiring craftsmanship and design alike. All of them were pale shades of green, climbing vines and delicate flowers and wisps of cloud all captured into hair sticks that were not quite right.
“What does your love like?” the shopkeeper asked as she tapped absently at her chin in thought. “Jade, obviously, but does she have a favorite bird, or flower?”
Wei Wuxian bounced on his heels. His favorite topic! He leaned closer, playfully confiding, "You'd never think it to look at him, but he loves rabbits! I think he has a soft spot for soft animals." The shopkeeper echoed his smile. "I don't know about birds, but flowers..." He paused. He knew gentians were meaningful to his husband, but would Lan Zhan want to be reminded of his mother every time he used the hair stick? Too fraught, he decided, and said instead, "He keeps a peony as a bookmark, but I'm not sure that fits him. He's the most elegant and refined person in the world."
The shopkeeper watched him fondly. "Obviously she deserves a special hairpin," she said. Just as obviously she wanted to keep Wei Wuxian in a good mood, but he agreed anyway. Lan Zhan did deserve a special hairpin. "You said she's elegant and refined?"
"Very much so. Jade fits him in every respect," Wei Wuxian confirmed. "Any hairpin for him can't be ornate or ostentatious. He's from the Gusu Lan clan and wouldn't be comfortable with that anyway. It should be...deceptively simple. He's so quiet, and most people think he's cold, but they can't see deeper to the passion and warmth and humor underneath..."
He tapped his lips, thinking, but the shopkeeper's small laugh interrupted his musing. "Very special indeed," she said. "I see why you can't quite find what you want among what I have. Are you sure you don't want to commission one?"
"We're not staying here long enough," he replied, with a small smile. "But if I can't find anything else, I'll think about it. Do you know where else I might go, laobanniang?"
Her smile didn’t dim even though she was losing a customer. “Master Zhou just two streets over next to the pottery makers has some good ones too. You can’t miss him.”
He smiled and thanked her, bowing politely. As he started to walk away, she called out to him, “Come back to me if you change your mind, gongzi! I’ll make sure your sweetheart gets the hairpin she deserves.”
Wei Wuxian laughed and waved to her as he wove his way through the crowd. If he’d been shopping for himself, he was sure he could have found one he would have been happy to wear easily. They were all of good craftsmanship and had an elegance and sturdiness that would have suited him.
But he wasn’t shopping for himself. He was shopping for Lan Zhan.
And Lan Zhan always deserved the very best there was.
He clasped his hands together behind his back as he set down the street the shopkeeper had indicated, slightly less active than some of the others. He could see the simple kilns stretching out behind shopfronts and houses.
He also saw what the shopkeeper meant when she said he couldn’t miss it. Master Zhou evidently had a flair for the dramatic and had painted several hair sticks on a wooden sign that stood out from the pottery shops around him. The sign alone showed several different styles, not all of them feminine, so Wei Wuxian's optimism grew.
"Welcome!" a middle-aged man called as Wei Wuxian walked inside. The shop wasn't large, but it was well-lit and organized -- glancing around, he could see a range of materials, with bamboo on one side of the shop and jade on the other. He stepped closer to the trays of jade and saw them further organized by style.
The shopkeeper, Master Zhou, seemed to be helping another customer pick out glittering gold hairpins, so Wei Wuxian peered at the jade on his own first. Unlike the marketplace stall, this shop had multiple trays and included jade of several different colors, from shades of green and lavender to black and white.
Some were very elaborate, including flowers made from other precious stones and edged in gold, with beads and other things dangling from the end. Others showed ornate carvings all along the length of the hair stick, some with twists and others with filigree.
As he looked at the wealth of options available, a smile curled Wei Wuxian's lips upward. Surely he would be able to find something that fit Lan Zhan here!
He picked up one and another as he considered what would be pleasing to see in his hair every day and what would make Lan Zhan happy to see. Because his ridiculous, wonderful husband would wear it as often as he could. Even if he didn’t love the design.
He decided against anything with gentians in the end. Perhaps a future gift could incorporate them more strongly, but it didn’t feel right in the end. Nor did peonies. It had been fun to throw them at him when they were younger, but they no longer had the right meaning behind them.
He was looking over a lavender hair stick that looked like the branch of a spring tree when a delicate curving petal carved from a piece of jade that must have had multiple colors running through it caught his eyes.
Leaning over, he plucked the stick from the table, lifting it up to the afternoon light to admire the shock of white and lavender through the green. The curving petal was that of an orchid, a single flower in full bloom.
It was the first one he’d seen that touched something in his heart at the thought of seeing Lan Zhan wearing it. An orchid, elegant and bright. A blossoming lan for his Lan.
It was simple enough to suit Lan Zhan's tastes, but elegant and beautiful enough to fit him. The green of the jade was pale enough that it wouldn't stand out too much and draw attention and fit perfectly with the colors of the flower. He stroked along its length, feeling no cracks, nothing to mar its perfection.
"Has the gongzi found something that suits him?" Master Zhou apparently finished with his other customer and came over to stand by Wei Wuxian. "Ah, an excellent choice! One of my highest-quality pieces -- this one is fine and yet understated, fit for any occasion."
Wei Wuxian stroked it again with one finger. "It is very fine," he agreed. "Did you carve all of these yourself?"
The older man's face wrinkled with a smile. "Me, and now two daughters and a son. My youngest daughter did the orchid there -- see what a deft hand she has! A lot of love and care has gone into that piece, gongzi."
"I can tell." He looked over the smooth curves of the petals again. Yes. This was the one. He looked up at the shopkeeper with a smile of his own. "How much, laoban?"
Master Zhou took it from him and looked it over. “Well, usually it would be one of the most expensive pieces since it’s jade, but the striping makes it less desirable.” His eyes twinkled in amusement. “My youngest loves working with more unique jade like this one, but so many young men don’t see the beauty in it.”
Wei Wuxian nodded encouragingly and let the man rant over others not understanding his daughter’s genius as he pulled out the coins tucked away in his sleeve, carefully stolen from Lan Zhan’s purse over time.
The fact that he could have asked for it at any point or taken it openly didn’t matter. The fun was in the sneaking itself. Besides, they were married. It was his money anyway.
He haggled with the merchant playfully, successfully talking him into a slightly lower price. Master Zhou even wrapped it up when he revealed it was a surprise gift so he could tuck it into his sleeve and keep it concealed.
He couldn’t keep a wide grin from spreading over his face as he left the shop, thinking of Lan Zhan’s face when he saw the hair stick and the orchid almost as elegant as him. Of the way his eyes would glimmer with laughter at the silly wordplay.
Every day what he could see in his husband’s face grew, and he would memorize everything he could see in his eyes.
It wasn't time yet to meet Lan Zhan, so Wei Wuxian went back to browse through the market again. He saluted the first hairpin shopkeeper with a smile before he turned his attention to everything else.
Bright, colorful clothes on display, painted lanterns, sparkling jewelry, the smells of street food, the shrieking laughter of playing children and the hum and bustle of the crowd--
It was good to be here, like this. It was good to walk through the world, unremarked but included.
It was even better to have someone waiting for him.
As he approached the inn, and the tall, white-robed shape he could see standing in front of it, he turned to one last vendor and bought a stick of tanghulu. His Lan Zhan liked sweet things, but only in small portions, and one stick to share was perfect for both of them.
Wei Wuxian approached the inn from the side, Lan Zhan faced away from him. As he got closer, he took care to mute his footsteps and hold his money pouch and other jangling accessories quiet. He crept closer, freezing when Lan Zhan turned his face slightly towards him, only moving again when Lan Zhan looked back out at the market again.
Then he pounced. He kept the sticky tanghulu angled away as he wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan's shoulders, crooning, "Caught you," in his ear as his hapless victim stood tall and firm against his assault.
“Indeed,” Lan Zhan said, low and mellow and he could hear the smile in his voice. “You have finished your errand, then?”
He waved the tanghulu around demonstratively, taking advantage of their positioning to press a kiss to the side of his husband’s neck. “Now I have,” he said with a grin. “I had to find my poor, lost Lan Zhan all by himself in the marketplace.”
Lan Zhan made a noncommittal sound, remaining where he was so that Wei Wuxian could hang off of him more effectively.
If anyone passing by was giving them odd looks, he didn’t care. The only person whose opinion mattered to him was currently trapped in his arms, eyeing his stick of tanghulu.
Lan Zhan leaning over slightly to bite down on it was only a surprise in that he had to hold on tighter to avoid dropping it entirely. He could feel the smugness radiating off of him in waves.
"That's my tanghulu," he chided, exaggerating the pout in his voice and ignoring that he'd bought it for both of them. "Now you have to compensate me!"
A pause while Lan Zhan chewed and swallowed. "Mn. And how should I compensate you?"
His husband's voice was so solemn and serious that Wei Wuxian had to squeeze him tighter before he finally let go, dropping down and skipping around to look at Lan Zhan's face. He tapped the stick, with its one missing fruit, against his lips in thought, making sure to keep the slight pout even when Lan Zhan's eyes dropped to his mouth.
"Hmmmmm," he hummed, drawing out the sound. "Sounds like I have an unrepentant thief in front of me. Not very Lan of you, is it? I think you should...give me your forehead ribbon!"
Immediately, Lan Zhan's eyes blazed. Even though Wei Wuxian knew what the ribbon meant now and knew he was allowed to touch it, some part of him still expected Lan Zhan to resist taking it off out here, in public, with so many people around.
He didn't. Immediately, he pulled the ribbon free. Then he took Wei Wuxian's free hand in both of his, pooling the ribbon in his palm and closing his fingers around it. The whole time, he held Wei Wuxian's gaze with those stunning light eyes of his.
Unfair! Wei Wuxian's mind wailed even as his voice refused to work. This man. This impossible man! Doing things to his poor heart. And even worse, now he was smirking at Wei Wuxian, enjoying his inability to speak.
Really, what was he supposed to do with this impossible, perfect man?
Someone nearly bumped into him but for Lan Zhan moving him out of the way, protectively close. The security of his touch cleared the flailing from his mind, made him smile again. “Perhaps we should go inside,” he suggested, leaning into his husband’s side. “My throat is dry now, I need a drink,” he added with a playful pout.
“Mn,” Lan Zhan said, nodding slightly. He twined their fingers together so they could walk hand in hand, his forehead ribbon trapped between them. He made no attempt to take it back as they walked into the inn, out of the sunlight and the hustle and bustle.
They found a pleasant corner easily enough, settling down with their backs to the wall. The hairpin sat heavy in his sleeve, but it did not yet feel like quite the right time to give it to him. He chewed on a piece of tanghulu as Lan Zhan ordered tea for both of them, enjoying the sticky, sweet feeling curling on his tongue. Lan Zhan still did not ask for his ribbon back, so Wei Wuxian wrapped it around his wrist and tied it off, then made sure to keep his sleeve pulled up just enough for Lan Zhan to keep seeing it.
After the waiter walked away, he passed the stick back over to Lan Zhan, leaning over and propping his chin in his hand with a grin. Lan Zhan made no expression as he bit down on the sweet treat, but nevertheless he could see the enjoyment in his eyes.
"Where do you want to go next?" he asked as Lan Zhan passed the tanghulu back to him. "Did you hear about anything interesting in the market?"
Lan Zhan shook his head. "This area seems peaceful."
"That's good." Wei Wuxian propped his chin on one hand, watching as Lan Zhan gracefully sipped his tea. "You've done a lot of night hunting over the years. Have there been areas that need more attention than others?"
After a pause, Lan Zhan replied, "Jin Guangyao's watchtowers...have been useful, but there were always places they did not reach. Yi City was one such place, but there are others. And much of the former Wen territory, while technically claimed by other sects, does not receive sufficient attention by its new overseers."
Wei Wuxian bit off another piece of tanghulu before passing the stick back to Lan Zhan. This man...he was so good. His Hanguang-jun, dedicated to helping people the rest of the clans neglected. A life like this...was more than worthwhile.
"Shall we go east, then?" he suggested, once he'd chewed and swallowed. "If we're going to Qishan, maybe we'll even see Wen Ning and Sizhui."
Lan Zhan’s eyes warmed at the thought, even as he set his cup down neatly before speaking. “We shall go east if you would like,” he said. “Tomorrow.”
Wei Wuxian leaned back and laughed loudly. “Yes, tomorrow. Tonight we sleep in a bed while the innkeepers spoil my donkey with too many apples.”
Lan Zhan lowered his eyes demurely as if it had not been him that tipped off the stable hand that had tied up his Little Apple that she would go more agreeably with the promise of a juicy, red apple at the end of it. He spoiled his donkey almost as much as he spoiled his husband.
Just as he should do.
Further conversation was brought to a halt as the waiter returned to see if they’d like something more substantial than the tanghulu stick they’d nearly finished already. It was still early in the day for him to want dinner, but right now the inn itself was relatively quiet and peaceful and the thought of not having to shout to be overheard was rather pleasant.
It didn’t escape his notice what dishes Lan Zhan ordered for them to eat though. “I notice that you didn’t tell them to make any of them less spicy there.” He smirked and raised his eyebrows. “Your tongue will be burned away at this rate.”
Lan Zhan's face didn't change at all. "You like it. We can share."
Ahhh, that silly melon! "I do like it," he agreed, "but I want you to have food that you like too. It hasn't been that long, so let's just order another dish without spice. You weren't there, but the juniors in Yi City considered food with my spice levels a punishment. You don't need to eat what I like."
Lan Zhan blinked at him. "Enjoying food with you that you like," he said slowly, "would never be a punishment. Do not worry, Wei Ying. I chose the food I wanted."
That steady face, those earnest eyes! Wei Wuxian briefly buried his face in his arms. "Shameless!" he said, his voice muffled.
His ridiculous husband waited until he lifted his head up again to say, "Mn," and take another sip of his tea.
And when their food finally arrived, Lan Zhan ate it, despite the bright red color. His ears went almost as red as their food, but he ate, and listened to Wei Wuxian chatter as he ate with only a minor, perfunctory scolding. In the end, all of their dishes lay empty, and the warmth in Wei Wuxian's heart had nothing to do with the heat on his tongue
They lingered for a little while over the last cups of tea as the inn slowly filled with people happily congregating and sharing stories of their day, travelers and those who called this little village home alike. The aura of the evening was that of a good day slowly drawing to a close, the worn out ends of a familiar blanket still solid enough to keep feet and hearts warm throughout the night.
It was still early for Wei Wuxian when they retired to the room they’d bought earlier, but he didn’t mind leaving the crowd behind. After all, even ten inns filled with the same sort of people could not measure up to one Lan Zhan, and he would rather spend all of his time with his one favorite person in the world.
He collapsed rather dramatically on the bed, kicking off his boots so they landed on the floor with a clatter. He left the ribbon on his wrist -- he'd keep it until his husband wanted it back. “Grassy fields and bedrolls are all very well,” he told Lan Zhan with a wave of his arm, spreading out on the bed like a cat who had discovered how to take up more space than their body could reasonably spread to, “but there really is nothing like a bed after a long day on the road.”
Lan Zhan hummed lightly, sitting down on the slicer of bed Wei Wuxian had left for him, and began to take down his hair and comb it smooth. Not that it needed the help -- not a strand dared to stray out of place as it was. But the rhythm of the comb and the way his hair slid free like ink mixed to the perfect consistency dropping down the page of his shoulders was perfectly hypnotic.
He could have easily watched him do that for the rest of the night.
But seeing Lan Zhan take care of his hair brought to mind the hair stick in his sleeve, and with it an idea for how to present it. He swung himself upright again, then patted the area right in front of him. "Come here, let me do that."
Lan Zhan paused, then shifted over to sit in front of Wei Wuxian, handing him the comb. Wei Wuxian took a few moments to simply stroke a hand through Lan Zhan's hair, enjoying the silky smoothness, as the other hand slid the hair stick out of his sleeve and unwrapped it. Once that was ready, he took up the comb and gathered up a section of that silky hair.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured as he worked. He briefly lifted up the section he was working on and kissed it. "Ah, Lan Zhan..."
Lan Zhan started to turn his head, but Wei Wuxian caught him, gently holding his face so he kept looking forward. "Ah-ah, I'm not done yet," he chided. Once he knew Lan Zhan would stay still, he returned to his task.
A sigh, then Lan Zhan's normally smooth voice a little rough, saying, "You are beautiful. You are here..."
Wei Wuxian smiled. "That's right, I'm here."
He finished. But before Lan Zhan could move, Wei Wuxian parted sections of his hair again and twisted them in a simple knot, one he learned long ago for his shijie. Then he picked up the hair stick and slid it through the knot. He let his hands fall, but the knot stayed, pinned in place.
Lan Zhan made a surprised nose as he reached up to feel the oddity in his hair, long, slim fingers wrapping gently around the flower end of the stick and pulling it free. Wei Wuxian laughed as his hair immediately fell loose. “I worked hard on that,” he teased, but his gaze was fixed on the single eye and side of his face that he could see.
Lan Zhan held the hair stick and stared at it as if it would disappear should he take his eyes off of it. His one visible eye shone brightly and his lips were slightly parted. He ran his thumb over one of the striped petals with wonder that would have been visible to all who saw it.
Wei Wuxian beamed at him as he turned around with the hair stick still cradled in his hands. “A jade lan for my Jade Lan,” he said with a laugh, enjoying the open surprise on Lan Zhan’s face.
Anything else he could have said was lost in a rush of air as Lan Zhan enveloped him in a tight hug, pressing his lips to the skin just beneath his ear in a kiss meant to express all the things he could not find the words to vocalize.
He smiled and leaned into the embrace, resting his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder and holding him close. He had hoped for a reaction like this from the gift, and getting it made his heart feel so warm it felt as if it would overflow with light.
After several minutes, Lan Zhan at last released him, his golden eyes very bright as he handed Wei Wuxian the hairpin again, sitting down properly in front of him so that Wei Wuxian could redo the bun.
This time, the hair stick stayed in as Lan Zhan turned around. For the first time, Wei Wuxian could see Lan Zhan using his present, and it looked just as good as he'd hoped. The colors stood out in Lan Zhan's hair, but the shades were soft enough that the whole image had a refined edge.
Even then, the sight of the hair stick in Lan Zhan's hair paled in comparison to the happiness in Lan Zhan's eyes.
Wei Wuxian couldn't entirely bear it. He had to lean forward and kiss Lan Zhan again, closing his eyes as their lips moved together.
Too soon, though, Lan Zhan pulled away. Wei Wuxian blinked his eyes open again, ready to complain, until he noticed Lan Zhan pulling something out of his own sleeve. He laid a small, cloth-wrapped object on Wei Wuxian's knee, and Wei Wuxian only took a moment to look him in the eye to make sure before he undid the knot.
The cloth fell open to reveal a white jade comb. Wei Wuxian's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open to take in a sharp breath as he carefully lifted the comb to examine it more closely. It was about the size of his palm, with a shaft almost as long as the teeth. Carved into the jade shaft, delicately yet precisely, was a camellia blossom. Everlasting love .
"You ridiculous, romantic man," he whispered, running his fingers gently over the carved flower. " I'm the one supposed to give you flowers."
“You have given me many,” Lan Zhan said, the slightest hint of a smile brushing at the edges of his lips. “Am I not allowed to gift them in return?”
“I didn’t say that,” he huffed, sticking out his lower lip in affront as that faint hint of a smile grew. “How long have you been waiting to give me a flower?”
Lan Zhan steadfastly did not reply, but instead reached out to take the comb from him, motioning for Wei Wuxian to shift over so that he could slide it into his hair just before the ribbon, tucking it in securely so even if it would move he would notice before he could lose it.
The cool jade teeth felt nice against his scalp, and the weight of it comfortable. He swung his head from side to side experimentally, pleased by the way it stayed no matter how he tossed his head about.
When he was satisfied that his new comb had been properly tested, he flicked his ponytail so that Lan Zhan’s eyes went to his hair and grinned at him. “Well Hanguang-jun, does it suit me? Or should I perhaps try it with a different outfit?” he said teasingly, tugging at the collar of his robes to reveal some of the fading marks from yesterday.
Lan Zhan’s eyes narrowed slightly, the warm gold darkening as his eyes went right to those lingering marks.
Wei Wuxian’s smirk curved to wicked as he tugged at his sash, letting his robes gap open and looking at Lan Zhan through his lashes. “What do you say, Lan-er-gege, to seeing how my new comb looks with no robes at all?”
And as he’d expected, it turned out Lan Zhan had a great many thoughts to express on just how good he looked in his new comb indeed.