Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Poised, elegant, and stoic. He’s pale like morning clouds but rosy on his thin lips, golden eyes with flecks of brown place delicately inside. He’s in mourning white robes, sitting tall at the table farthest from me, and he is beautiful. His name is Lan Wangji.

And I am Wei Wuxian.

He sits by his uncle and his brother, at the front of the room. While his uncle is aged, he aged like the wine my brother would sneak into our rooms from the kitchens. He was spoken to be unearthly beautiful in his youth, making men and women alike swoon and kiss the ground he walked on. His elder brother is also handsome, with a soft jawline and even softer lips, large hands and a gentle smile. But there’s something that enraptured me about Lan Wangji, he is handsome and beautiful and would treat me gently and–

“Wei Wuxian!”

I jumped from my adopted mothers harsh shout. l looked up from my spot daydreaming and noticed everyone standing and mingling, and the outrageously handsome prince was gone.

“Apologies, Madam Yu,” I stumbled out, quickly standing and following the rest of the Jiang family towards where the Jin Clan were speaking in their sleazy tongues. Madam Yu scoffed, her feet making a tic, tic, tic sound as she went towards the ruthless Madam Jin.

Letting out a shuddering breath, I felt eyes upon me, and when I looked up I halted. 

Prince Wangji was staring at me. 

He was with my younger brother and older sister, and my younger brothers… lover? Young Master Nie, in all of his elegance and secretive beauty, and as always, a pretty face behind a green fan with blossom detailing. 

I felt my cheeks warm, quickly turning the other way and nearly ran towards the other side of the room. Hiding behind a pillar and trying to make my blush fade, I didn’t notice someone coming near me until–

“There you are!”

Shoot. 

When I looked up, Wen Chao was grinning at me with a grin that would kill someone. I shivered, stepping back towards the crowd that I was just trying to avoid, “Wen Chao- I. I was not expecting to see you here.”

I stopped towards the middle of the room as he continued to follow me. I looked quickly around the room, desperately trying to find my brother or sister, Nie Huaisang, or, heck, even Nie Huaisang’s brother or my sister's fiance who I loathe so much. Wen Chao either didn’t notice it (which I don’t doubt, considering how stupid he can be. It’s some type of miracle that he’s Sect Leader Wen’s son) or chooses to ignore it (which is also possible) and continues to pester me.

“Where’s your younger brother, hm? Not here to defend you from the flirtatious young suitor?”

“This isn’t one of your romance novels, Wen Chao.”

He snickers, pressing his body on mine. He smelled of raw steak, “Oh I know, A-Xian, but we could make it into one.”

I started to feel dizzy, trying to shove his form off of mine, “Don’t call me that, please.”

Wen Chao grabbed onto my wrist harshly, causing me to gasp from the sudden shock of pain, “I will call you whatever I fancy-”

“Let me go this instant!-”

“I don’t take orders from good-for-nothing bedwarmers-”

“Let. Me. GO!!”

SLAP!!!!

The entire conference hall grew quiet, watching in horrified awe at us two.

I rubbed my hand from where I backhanded Wen Chao, breathing hard. He was stock still, and I was still dizzy and reeling from him on me.

He slowly turned back to me, raising his hand, I flinched, “How DARE-”

“WEN CHAO!!”

A-Cheng!

“Get your hands off of him!” A-Cheng, my younger brother, pushed me behind him. My shijie rushed over with Nie Huaisang, panic clear in their gaze. I stumbled back, holding my head, expecting to fall onto the ground. But instead I was taken into someone's arms and pulled into a strong chest.

I hesitantly looked up, eyes widening and mouth agape as I stared into the eyes of prince Lan Wangji.

He frowned, “Are you alright?”

I was frozen, shaking and terrified. I was still shaken from Wen Chao putting his hands on me, but terrified of the beauty of the man right in front of me, I felt faint, dizzy, frightened, and any other synonyms for those words. Eventually realizing I was just staring at the prince like a gaping fish, I stuttered out a reply.

“I-I-I Think so? I-I do feel a bit dizzy.”

Lan Wangji frowned deeply, pulling me even closer to him. Shijie and Nie Huaisang finally made it through the crowd, coming and fretting over me. A-Cheng was still arguing with Wen Chao, but in all honesty I could care less. I was being held in the arms of the most attractive man in the world, I don’t need anything else.

Through my hazy vision, I noticed Wen Chao being pulled away by his father and A-Cheng hastily making his way towards us. As the evening quickly caught up to me, I felt like I would pass out. Wen Chao touched me, he laid his hands upon me, who knows what else he might’ve done if no one stopped him, or if we were still alone. 

There was quite a bit of commotion around us, I believe I could hear Madam Yu and Sect Leader Wen starting an argument, something about Wen Chao attacking a member of the Jiang Sect. I suspect she’s only doing it to save face. Since even though I’m technically a part of the main family now, she still treats me as nothing more than a servant.

When Lan Wangji’s brother came over to us, I heard him frantically call for a medic as I slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Waking up from forced unconsciousness was not fun. My eyes felt sticky and my head hurt, but the bed I rested on was plush and had soft blankets and thick pillows. 

When I managed to fully open my eyes, Nie Huaisang stared back at me with scrunched eyebrows, “How are you feeling, A-Ying?”

I sat up with a bit of a struggle, laying back against the headboard, “Fine, I think. I do have a headache though,” I croaked out. Nie Huaisang nodded, rising with elegance to go get tea from the other side of the room. As he did I looked around what I presume is the Medical Ward, the walls were plain with the exception of a few painted scrolls on the walls, as well as a few privacy screens with little flowers on it. There were a few potted plants scattered around near where I assume Lan-Daifu worked, a small table was on the other side of the room, where Nie Huaisang was currently making the tea. The room itself wasn’t that big, but it wasn’t small or claustrophobic either, it felt almost cozy, aside from the smell of medicinal herbs. 

There was another bed a bit away from my bed, which was empty. I let out a tired sigh as Nie Huaisang rested the tray of tea on my thighs, with what I believe is Prunella tea. Huaisang opened his fan, gently waving it up, down, up down, up- while he picked up his tea and I finally picked up mine. 

“So,” Huaisang said, “Do you remember what happened? Because if not, I’m calling Lan-Daifu in to check on you,” He threatened, bapping me lightly on the head with his fan

I let out a giggle, sipping my tea, wincing at the bitterness, “Aiyah, I remember I remember- Don’t you dare hit me again with that fan again!” Huaisang stifled a laugh, laying down the pretty fan on his lap. He put down his teacup, fixing his family braids, “So would you explain to me what happened after I fainted in the arms of the hottest man to ever grace this Earth?”

Huaisang snorted, “Sure, he’s tooootally the hottest man alive–”

“I do not want to hear your thirst for my shidi!! ”

“Okay! Okay! Let me explain! Let me explain!”

Hmph!

“Don’t Hmph me! Anyway, as I was saying , After Xichen-ge called for a medic, you passed out and I swear that Lan Wangji was going to kill Wen Chao, because A-Cheng was definitely going to if me and Jiang Yanli didn’t stop him. The medics were really quick, but Madam Yu was fuming, she was definitely embarrassed. I suspect A-Cheng and Yanli will keep you close for the next few days so she doesn’t try yelling at you or something.

“Lan-Daifu should be back in here soon, I think A-Cheng and Yanli are coming soon too, da-ge might come to take me back to our rooms as well.”

I nod, reluctantly finishing the bitter tea.

As I did so, the door nearly burst open, two sets of footsteps behind it.

“A-Xian!”

“Wei Wuxian!”

I let out an oomph! As both of my siblings toppled on me. My shijie carefully took my face in her hands, looking incredibly worried, “Are you alright, A-Xian?”

I smiled brightly at her, taking her hands in mine, “I’m fine shijie, I promise. Still tired though,” she smiled warmly, giving me another hug, but more gently this time. A-Cheng huffed, getting up and sitting back down next to Huaisang.

“I can’t believe he would do that in front of an entire crowd. I’ve never seen a person with that much arrogance before,” A-Cheng leaned on Huaisang, who opened his fan again to hide a smile.

I huffed, flopping back onto the pillows, the tray bouncing with me. Huaisang rushed and grabbed it so nothing would spill, sticking his tongue out and me, making me giggle.

A-Cheng played with the end of his sleeves, “Gossip may be ‘banned’ in the Cloud Recesses, but those disciples under Lan-Daifu sure do like to talk. I keep hearing her students whisper about Wen Chao and you.”

I heard A-Sang tsk , pulling A-Cheng’s hands away from his sleeves. I felt shijie pat my hands comfortingly, which I was grateful for, as I felt a headache coming about.

“Lan-Daifu said you were fine to leave, A-Xian, as long as you didn’t feel ill,” Shijie gave me a stern look, which made me chuckle.

“I’m fine, shijie. Just a bit of a headache, but I’m fine enough to go back to our rooms.”

Shijie nodded and got up gracefully. A-Cheng and Huaisang also stood, A-Cheng offered his arm out to me to help me stand. When he was satisfied, presumably that I wouldn’t fall, he grabbed Huaisang’s arm shyly and lead us out of the Medical Ward.

Huaisang hid a pretty blush behind his fan, me and my shijie giggling quietly as he did. I looked around the hall we walked down, the walls were light, with a sparse amount of decor on the walls, save for a few scrolls.

The hall itself had lots of natural light in it, since the hall’s entrance was one big arch that led to the garden, as well as many windows.

As we walked outside, onto the bridge over the large pond, we told jokes, shijie occasionally playfully batting one of us if we made a particularly crude joke, but giggled either way. But then-

“Wangji!”

Nie Huaisang let out a yell, letting go of A-Cheng’s arm, as he rushed over the bridge to the prince, fluttering around him as Lan Wangji nodded, listening intently on whatever rant Huaisang went on.

I felt the heat rising on my cheeks as Shijie and A-Cheng went over to join them. I stood back awkwardly as I tried to get my blush to calm, doing my best to not stare at the handsome man who I had fainted in the arms of earlier. How embarrassing is that?! Fainting in your crush’s arms after getting basically manhandled by some creepy weirdo. GOD! Jin Zixuan was right when he said I was a bumbling idiot.

When I looked up again, I felt my entire face turn red. While Shijie, A-Cheng and Huaisang talked among themselves, Prince Wangji made his way to me while a stood on the bridge.

Feeling myself start to stutter, I started to go into a deep bow, “P-Prince Wangji, thank you for helping th-this lowly one earlier—”

The prince put his hands on my arms gently, pulling me up from my bow, “Do not address yourself as such. This one did not wish to see you hurt.”

I looked to the side, giving a small smile. I felt his hands move down to my hands, feeling the rough calluses on his finger tips from where he the guqin (supposedly).

“This one thanks you—”

“Wei Wuxian!”

What is it with people and yelling my name?!?!

I unconsciously tensed, making myself look smaller as I heard Madam Yu approche. Prince Wangji let go of my hands and turned, blocking myself from the view of Madam Yu.

As she stopped in front of our little group, heard Prince Wangji speak.

“Madam Yu.”

Fuck me running.