Chapter Text
"Look, dude," Wei Wuxian said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "I get that you’re low on money but I need something in exchange for my work."
The man shrugged, "I pay what I seem fit."
Wei Wuxian took a deep breath to calm himself. "I cleared out the entire fucking house for you, didn’t I? That was a lot of exhausting work and I would really appreciate it if you paid me. Like, right now." Wei Wuxian stared at the man with an annoyed expression, barely even trying to keep his expression neutral. The stygian tiger amulet’s power surged through him at the slightest provocation and he could feel its terrible pull on his insides, like it wanted him to act.
There must have been something in that expression or the way he had said it—or the man just remembered who Wei Wuxian was—but the man suddenly pulled out another package of money from his bag and threw it towards Wei Wuxian, who caught it with ease. "There you have it! And now leave."
Wei Wuxian smiled at the man, showing him his sharp teeth. "See? That wasn’t so hard now, was it?" He shoved the money into his qiankun pouch, which he had tied to his belt and then turned around to leave.
He knew he had already outstayed his welcome and he didn’t want things to get worse. People tolerated him because he was great at what he did. Get rid of spirits quickly, effectively, and—most important of all—anonymously. And he also charged a decent price, if he even charged anything. Most of his jobs these days were just smaller ones where he helped out people who couldn’t afford a professional. Which were a lot of people.
Of course, there were the other Cultivators, those who worked for the Guild. They were the official professionals. The people you call when you have an issue that needs to be handled by none other than a cultivator. The Guild oversaw the education, training and later the work of every cultivator in the country. If you showed a decent amount of talent and were part of a sect, you would be sent to the Guild for evaluation and—given you were good enough—perhaps they’d choose you for some special training.
Wei Wuxian had once been one of those people, one of those cultivators who the Guild chose. But that was long ago. Now he was a criminal … according to the law, which banned the use of stronger cultivation techniques outside of the Guild. Which was why people valued his work. It was like an unspoken agreement, that they would keep quiet about him and he’d keep quiet about their little problems or whatever he discovered during his jobs.
He went back to his motorcycle. He glanced back one more time to see that the man was still watching him, with a sour expression. Unfortunately, people liking his work did not automatically mean that they also liked him. The opposite was the case most of the time. People knew who he was. Adopted into the Jiang Family and taken into their sect—which he, according to the rumours, betrayed—raised to become a cultivator. That he was an omega, which was a rumour that was actually true but heat suppressants and scent blockers kept people guessing, and he preferred it that way. And of course, he was a fox spirit. That was also true but he was good enough to be able to hide his distinguishing features. The last thing he needed were some kind of wannabe trophy hunters who thought they could cut off a piece of him and sell it on the black market as some kind of lucky charm.
Wei Wuxian ignored the man’s stare as he mounted his bike and drove away into the night. The streets in this part of Yiling weren’t quiet at this time of the night. There were clubs and bars at the side of the road and other, more lewd or illegal, establishments hidden behind the darkness of alleyways. People of all kinds crowded the pavements and some crossed the road without looking. But even in the middle of the night, Wei Wuxian’s senses weren’t lacking and he was able to manoeuvre through the people and the myriad of cars on the roads. It didn’t take him long to leave that part of town behind, entering a quieter area.
There were only a few people out, most of them dressed in dark clothes or covering their faces. Some of them cutting deals in dark corners and alleyways. Not an unusual sight for Wei Wuxian. A few minutes later, he turned another corner to stop in front of a huge apartment building. He hid his bike, then sealed it with a talisman and then went inside. Usually, he’d take two stairs at a time but it had been a long and terribly exhausting day—and night—and all he wanted to do was get back into his flat to fall into his bed and sleep for at least fifteen hours straight.
He lived on the fifth floor, sharing a flat with Wen Ning and Wen Qing. Of course, the flat was way too small for the three of them but it was the best thing they could get. Wen Qing’s pay wasn’t bad, but not only did she have to pay for their flat, she also had to make sure that the rest of her family was doing well. And since most of them weren’t really able to work, she was carrying that burden. But she was doing it with pride. Wen Ning tried to help as best as he could and at this point, Wei Wuxian was sure that they would have all died on the streets months ago if it weren’t for Wen Ning being there for them.
And Wei Wuxian … well, he did his work and only asked for money when he was sure that the one who paid him had more than enough of it. Which wasn’t the case that often. Most of the time, he took care of spirits for free. He helped those who couldn’t help themselves.
It was dark inside the apartment. Both Wen Ning and Wen Qing must've already fallen asleep. Otherwise Wen Qing would already be lecturing him about something.
"Home sweet home," Wei Wuxian whispered as he quietly took off his shoes and jacket, It felt like he was finally able to take a real breath when he let go and his fox features came out of hiding. He scratched the left furry ear as he walked into the living room, where he dropped his qiankun pouch and pulled Chenqing out from under his belt. He sat down on the sofa, the springs poking into his legs and butt. With a deep sigh, he laid down and pulled the thin blanket over his body.
It hadn’t always been like this. Not even a year ago, Wei Wuxian was one of the highest-ranking cultivators of the Guild’s academy, which was stationed in Gusu. The Cloud Recesses were a mix of traditional buildings that were situated in the middle of the area and modern houses that looked like they had come straight out of a sci-fi film. The Guild had chosen the Cloud Recesses to build the academy around because the Lan clan was one of the most important and powerful cultivators of all time. The dragons of the Lan Clan were famous, not only for their power and their ridiculous thousands of rules, but also because they were one of the first Clans to support the idea of the Guild. They had a seat in the council, which was the head of the Guild, like all the other great Clans but the Lans had been there from the beginning.
He stared at the ceiling and pulled the blanket closer around him.
Thinking about the academy was always a bad idea. Because it also made him think about him. Lan Wangji. They had met in the academy and parted ways in a random street somewhere in Lanling. They had never really been on good terms, although there had been times when Wei Wuxian would’ve called Lan Wangji a friend. They had been through thick and thin, and there was no way around the strange and yet familiar sadness Wei Wuxian felt when he thought about his old ‘almost friend’. Wei Wuxian wouldn’t exactly say that he outright missed spending time with Lan Wangji but he did. There had always been something very familiar about the dragon, they had been equals in almost every way and that was something he surely missed.
Wei Wuxian lay awake for a few more minutes before sheer exhaustion pulled him to sleep.
He woke up when someone turned on the bright light in the kitchenette and blinded him. He groaned and sleepily covered his face with his arm.
"Oh," Wen Qing said, turning around to look at Wei Wuxian. "Look who’s back. And you’re still in possession of all your limbs."
Wei Wuxian grinned tiredly at her. "You know me. I wouldn’t let anyone other than you take my limbs from me."
She groaned. "Sure."
Wei Wuxian yawned and stretched on the couch, his joints popping in several places as he did so. "How early is it?"
"It’s four in the morning," Wen Qing answered. She had turned back to the task at hand; making coffee. "By the way, Si Shu called and told me that there was a job for you."
Wei Wuxian sat up and tried to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes. "What job?"
"I don’t know. He didn’t give me the details but it sounded like something really serious. There was this tone in his voice, a tension—" She seemed to be in thought for a brief moment before shaking her head, her ponytail bouncing as she did it. "In any case, you should talk to him about it."
"Sure," Wei Wuxian said, yawning once again. "But not before I took a nap."
"You just woke up."
"Yes. Your point being?"
Wen Qing looked at him like she was about to either stab him or throw something in his direction. And if she wasn’t holding a mug with coffee in her hands, she likely would’ve thrown something. She shook her head once more, then sat down in the armchair next to the couch to scroll through her phone. She looked tired, Wei Wuxian noticed. They probably all did. They tried their best but taking care of themselves, each other and the rest of the Wen family was tougher than they thought it would be. Especially since some of them had to lay low, otherwise the Guild would’ve busted their asses long ago.
"Don’t forget to take your suppressants later," she said absentmindedly.
"Yes, yes. I’d never forget something like that, Qing-Jie."
Wen Ning and Wen Qing were in a similar situation as Wei Wuxian. Cultivators who didn’t work for the Guild, which was technically illegal. But they had it worse. Their names alone made them seem like criminals in the eyes of many. A year ago, their names would have meant status and power but now …
The Wen Clan was once the most important and powerful cultivation clan; they provided the most and best trained cultivators for the Guild’s work and Wen Ruohan, the head of their clan, was one of the highest ranking cultivators within the Guild. Then, about a year ago, the Guild discovered that there had been operations and missions, led by Wen Cultivators that did not fall under the authority of the Guild. Not only that but during these operations, people were both seriously harmed and killed. The Guild started to investigate the matter and uncovered years upon years of corruption. Wen Ruohan split up from the Guild, told them that Cultivation Clans should be able to work independently, like they had before the establishment of the Guild and that he would no longer obey laws that did nothing but restrict him and his people.
What followed was, what the media so poetically named, the Sunshot Campaign. One would love to think that it was a series of brutal and terrible battles between the Wens and the Guild’s own cultivators which then ended with one final and bloody battle and the gruesome death of Wen Ruohan. The truth was that the Sunshot Campaign ended in a courtroom, where Wen Ruohan was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a secluded prison. Wen Ruohan died a few days later under mysterious circumstances. At least that is what the Guild had told the public. Wen Ruohan, once a mighty cultivator and respected member of the Guild, had been assassinated a few days after the legal proceedings.
After that, the name Wen was as good as holding up a ‘I am outlawed’ sign. That also included those Wens who never actually wanted anything to do with the doings of the main branch of the clan. The Guild did not differentiate, they had gone after everyone.
Wei Wuxian had fallen asleep once more and woke up a few hours later, when the sun had already risen and Wen Qing and Wen Ning were nowhere to be seen. They usually left at the asscrack of dawn to leave for the hospital, Wen Qing as a surgeon and Wen Ning as a nurse in training. Wen Qing usually made sure that their schedules aligned so that she could work side by side with her brother.
Wei Wuxian stretched once more, enjoying the freedom of being able to show his ears and tail freely. With a deep sigh, he got up to put the last bit of coffee that Wen Qing usually left for him in a mug. He didn’t care that the coffee was shitty and not really warm anymore, not even lukewarm. He drank it anyway. He always did. After that, he went to take a shower and detangle his long hair. It took longer than he’d like.
A quick look in the mirror told him what he already knew. He looked terrible. The shadows under his eyes had grown a few shades darker and his cheeks looked even thinner than a week ago. The fur of his ears, as well as the rest of his hair looked matte and if he looked closely he could see a few grey hairs shining through. He gave his reflection a bitter smile.
"I’ve looked worse," he murmured quietly as he began to brush his teeth.
He hid his tail and ears before he left the flat. People were already looking for him—although they were quite bad at actually finding him—and his fox features would attract even more unwelcome attention and that really was the last thing he needed right now.
Wei Wuxian saw that someone had stuck a bright green sticky note to the front door. It was a reminder for him to take his suppressants, signed by Wen Qing. He couldn’t help but smile at the small gesture. Wen Qing knew exactly that, even though she had told him earlier, he had already forgotten about his suppressants again.
After a quick detour to the kitchen, Wei Wuxian left the flat, locked the door behind himself and skipped down the stairs. He had tied his qiankun pouch to his belt and tucked Chenqing under said belt. His bike was still in the same place where he had hidden it the night before.
He quickly checked his phone. He only had a missed call from Si-Shu, who had then left him a message telling him to meet up.
"Already on my way," he said to himself as he mounted his bike.
Si Shu’s shop was a few blocks to the east, it was a small kiosk that seemed to be the most insignificant place out there. It was one of those shops where a little bell jingled whenever a customer entered, one that smelled both comforting and like the worst place you had ever been in. And one you’d suspect was so boring, it made a tour through the most boring museum one could possibly imagine seem like an adventure. Wei Wuxian entered and was immediately greeted by Si Shu, who waved him over.
"Wei Gongzi, come, come!" he called before hurrying to the door and locking the door of the shop. Then he gestured for Wei Wuxian to follow him to the back area of the shop. Wei Wuxian had to duck so he wouldn’t hit his head on the doorframe.
"So … Wen Qing said you had a job for me?" he said.
Si Shu nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that. A few days ago, Li Chao—you know her, right?—and she was a complete mess. Turns out her niece and nephew went missing! Now listen, yesterday she received a phone call from her niece. And she told me that her niece never calls and that her voice sounded really distraught. That itself is already suspicious, but she asked someone to track the location of her niece’s phone and it turns out it came from an old, abandoned manor."
Wei Wuxian furrowed his brows, tapping his chin with his fingers. "I see. I’ll go and check it out. Do you know where that manor is?"
Si Shu’s expression darkened visibly. "Oh yes. It’s the old Chang manor. You know the one?"
Wei Wuxian nodded, his usual smile had disappeared in the darkness of the back area of the shop. "Yeah, I know it. The one with the tales about the whole family being slaughtered in one night?"
"Yes, that’s the one. But those are no mere tales, I tell you that. Something happened there and you’re one of the only people I know who care enough to help."
Wei Wuxian smiled at Si Shu. "I’m always happy to help. Besides, a few problems less in this world won’t hurt anyone and if I’m the one who happens to be there at the right time, then it really is just coincidence."
Si Shu shook his head with a quiet laugh. "Of course, of course. Now go, I have customers to tend to."
Wei Wuxian smiled at the man before he turned around. He grabbed a drink and a few snacks from the shelves, paid and then shoved the food and drink into his qiankun pouch. He waved Si Shu goodbye before he left the store and got back onto his bike to make his way into the direction of Chang Manor.
The manor was a few kilometres outside of the city and had been abandoned for a few decades now. It wasn’t like people didn’t try to move in but something drove them out. At least that is what was being told on the internet. Usually, people told each other stories about abandoned places like that. Maybe because the thought of humans leaving behind a building as magnificent as the manor, which was hidden in a forest—that must have added to the eerie effect the manor had on people who approached it—was weird. Who would willingly leave such a beautiful place?
Wei Wuxian paused when he noticed that there were car tracks in the mud on the road. He stopped at the side of the road to take a closer look. A car, not very long ago. Those tracks were fresh. Which meant that there was someone else here. Wei Wuxian got off his bike and hid it in the pitch, so it couldn’t be seen from the road. Instead of climbing back up to the road, he decided to follow it by walking parallel to it. He didn’t want to be noticed by whoever was already there. If the Guild had already sent people—for whatever reason, since they usually didn’t take on jobs that were this small—then Wei Wuxian would turn around in an instance and make a run for it.
After a while, he could see the old stonewall that had been built around the property on which the manor was. It was about three metres tall and completely overgrown with various types of plants, mainly ivy, though. Wei Wuxian saw that there was a light silver car parked in front of the opened gate, which had been pushed open a bit. Not by a lot, only far enough for a grown man to fit through. Wei Wuxian didn’t recognise the car. It was an expensive car, that much he could see.
A slight breeze made him catch a peculiar scent. Something that made him both want to come out of hiding and disappear even further into the shrubbery of the woods. Whoever that person was, they were an alpha. And a fucking strong one at that. Wei Wuxian unconsciously bared his teeth. That was—right next to the Guild—the last thing he needed right now. Alphas could be difficult, to say the least. He had grown up among many who thought themselves to be stronger, better and more important just because they presented as an alpha and unfortunately, the world rarely made an effort to prove them otherwise.
Wei Wuxian decided to walk around the stone wall and look for a different entry point, one where he could go unnoticed by whoever was already here. With his fingers running over the coarse stone, he walked along the wall, which still seemed to stand tall and unmovable. Despite the pitiful state it was in, overgrown by ivy, mosses and other plants that used the wall as a ladder to reach the sky, the weathered stone wall did not show any significant damage. It felt like more than a simple stone wall. Like it was also a barrier, a powerful one at that if it had been up for so long. A barrier for what, though? Was it to keep people away from this place or to keep whatever was in there, trapped and away from the world? Given that several people had already entered, the latter was most likely the case.
Having walked around the wall once without finding another place to enter, Wei Wuxian slowly approached the rusty metal gate. He peeked around the corner but wasn’t able to see anything but an overgrown garden. Even the path that had once led to the manor, which was straight ahead of him, rested in the middle of the premises. It was built in a traditional style with a few modern twists to the home, although Wei Wuxian doubted that they’d have a heating in every single room. The house was free of any plants, which made a cold shiver run down his spine. Even the plants did not dare touch the walls of that house.
Wei Wuxian looked around but he didn’t spot anyone. The only trace left by the alpha was a path of trampled grass that led straight to the manor’s entrance. Wei Wuxian slowly pulled Chenqing out from under his belt, ready to fend off anyone or anything that would try to attack him. He snuck through the high grass, following the path carved by the alpha. Something about that scent was familiar. But Wei Wuxian couldn’t tell what it was and he didn’t want to let his guard down, regardless of how that scent made him feel. It felt like it made a memory want to break through but wasn’t strong enough yet. And if you asked Wei Wuxian, this really was not the time to remember something that must have happened years ago. He needed to stay alert.
There was a small veranda in front of the entrance, built out of wood, that creaked beneath Wei Wuxian’s feet. He flinched and waited a few heartbeats before he kept going. The door was opened slightly but he couldn't see anything but pitch black darkness through the gap. He slid the door open further to slip inside. The hairs at the back of his neck immediately stood up and he acted before he could even think. He blocked a blow from the left, just to get his hand grabbed and someone—a strong someone, one might add—attempted to push him against the wall to immobilise him. But Wei Wuxian was too fast, he twisted himself out of his attacker's grip. Without wasting a single second, he swung back his flute and was about to hit his opponent straight to the head, hopefully throwing them off balance or—less likely—knocking them out completely. But the other guy was fast, too. He stopped Wei Wuxian’s arm with a single move, using the brief moment that it took Wei Wuxian to process everything to throw the fox off balance and force him to take a few steps back.
"Fuck," Wei Wuxian hissed under his breath. He felt the urge to go right for the alpha’s throat and bite down hard enough to tear out the guy’s throat rise within him and it took him every ounce of self control to not just do it. A corpse would be hard to get rid of, and he didn’t want to make this place even worse than it already was.
Suddenly, his attacker took a step back as well and Wei Wuxian could notice that the alpha had no intention to attack him another time. Was he waving the white flag?
"The fuck, dude?" Wei Wuxian snapped, his defence unwavering. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
He didn’t get an answer. Instead, he heard the rustling of clothes, then paper and then, the alpha lit up a paper talisman. Wei Wuxian was pretty sure he stopped breathing for a few moments. The man—the alpha—in front of him was none other than—
"Lan Zhan?" The disbelief in his voice must’ve made him sound like a complete idiot. He stared at the man in front of him. Lan Wangji looked slightly dishevelled after their fight, but nonetheless there was this certain sense of put-togetherness that came from him. The horns on top of his head had grown since they had last seen each other and somehow they looked more silver than they had before, more shiny. Wei Wuxian had the weird feeling that he needed to touch them to know how they’d feel under his fingers and in his hand. He shoved that thought into the deepest and darkest place he could find in his place so he’d never have to think about it again. Lan Wangji had tied his hair back into a neat bun. Well, at least once it was neat. Now there were a few strands falling out, framing the man’s face.
Lan Zhan looked older. Not in the sense that he had wrinkles or anything, no. His jawline was more defined, his cheeks looked sharper and there was this strange mature glint in his eyes that told Wei Wuxian that the world hadn’t been exactly kind to Lan Wangji either.
"Wei Ying." That was the first thing Lan Wangji had said to Wei Wuxian in a long time. And it made that pain, that feeling of having his heart wrapped in barbed wire that someone pulled on, reappear inside Wei Wuxian’s chest. Now he knew why the scent had made him feel the way it had. Lan Wangji had once been his closest friend, someone who knew his secrets but now … they were acquaintances, old friends at best.
"Yeah?" Wei Wuxian replied, still staring at the dragon in front of him, trying to memorise as many details as possible. The way the plain white T-shirt moved with every breath Lan Wangji took, or the way the light reflected in his eyes, or the way his knuckles whitened when he tightened his grip on Bichen, or the way—he wished he could memorise everything. Wei Wuxian blinked a few times, bringing his eyes back up to meet Lan Wangji’s unwavering and unreadable gaze.
"You’re here," Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian snorted out a laugh. "I suppose so.
Then Lan Wangji looked away, for only the briefest of moments. "Why are you here?"
"I—," Wei Wuxian said, then paused. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust Lan Wangji. Heavens, if there was one person he did fully trust it was Lan Wangji. But he also knew that Lan Wangji was still working for the Guild. He remembered how their last meeting had ended. Just because he let Wei Wuxian go that one time, it didn’t mean he would let him go again. It was Lan Wangji’s duty to bring in people like Wei Wuxian, like Wen Qing and Wen Ning, like Si Shu and even A-Yuan. And Wei Wuxian was well aware of what duty meant to Lan Wangji. But he couldn’t lie to Lan Wangji. It would be worse to betray Lan Wangji like that than to walk into this trap knowingly. He took a deep breath. "I heard that people went missing here and someone asked me to take care of this."
And there it was. That scrutinising look in Lan Wangji’s eyes. Then, it was gone. "Hm," Lan Wangji hummed. "I am here for a similar reason."
Wei Wuxian nodded. He made himself smile at Lan Wangji. "I suppose it’s better if we work together then." Seeing the look on Lan Wangji’s face, he quickly added, "For the time being. We will … See what happens once we’re done here."
Lan Wangji didn’t answer for what felt like hours. Then he inclined his head, barely noticeable. "Alright."
Relieved, Wei Wuxian was able to relax a little bit. He was not stupid enough to let down his guard completely. Not in a place like this and not in front of someone who worked for the Guild, Lan Wangji or not.
The moment Wei Wuxian wanted to reach for the still opened door, it slammed shut and an eerie silence that even swallowed the sounds of their breaths took over. The talisman in Lan Wangji’s hand lit up brightly one last time before going out and leaving them in darkness.
"Shit," Wei Wuxian murmured and he could feel Lan Wangji looking at him, no doubt wanting to lecture him on cursing but the dragon remained silent.
A few moments passed without anything happening, then a dim light lit up above them. There was a lantern on the ceiling that started to glow, slowly growing brighter until it lit up the entirety of the vestibule. There was a flight of stairs on the right, while the room opened up to a broader space on the left. There were several doors to the left and one to the right. Everything was covered in thick layers of dust, looking like no one had been here for a very long time.
"Well, this is not what I expected," Wei Wuxian said, looking up at the light on the ceiling. "What do you think? Does this mean we’re welcomed or not?"
Lan Wangji didn’t answer but the way he furrowed his brows and scanned the room for anything suspicious told Wei Wuxian everything he needed to know.
"It’s probably a threat or something. ‘Beware, I am watching you!’"
"Hm," Lan Wangji agreed.
Wei Wuxian shrugged. "Well, in any case, we should take a look around. Where do you want to start?"
Lan Wangji stared down one of the doors, then gestured towards it. "There."
They left footprints in the dust on the floor and faintly, Wei Wuxian felt a cold shower run down his back as they came closer and closer to the door. It was most likely the presence of whatever was living in this place. Of course it would watch them, follow them. Waiting for the right moment to attack. But they’d be ready, Wei Wuxian was sure of that.
When Wei Wuxian put his hand on the door handle he was surprised to find it warm. It was made out of metal but it felt like someone had been holding it in their warm hands for quite some time. It didn’t unsettle him like it should have, instead it gave him a weird feeling of comfort. He wanted to look over his shoulder and see a true source of comfort. He resisted.
Instead, he simply said, "It’s warm."
"Hm," Lan Wangji hummed.
Wei Wuxian took a deep breath and pushed down the door handle. Instead of finding another room behind the door, Wei Wuxian saw a house in the middle of a dense bamboo forest. The house was made out of light wood and paper windows in white and beige which reminded him of Lotus Pier. He turned around to look at Lan Wangji, who seemed to be equally surprised by the scenery.
"Damn, not what I expected," Wei Wuxian muttered, then shrugged his shoulders and gave Lan Wangji a playful smile. "Well, it’s better than a dusty old room full of resentful energy, isn’t it?"
Wei Wuxian laughed, ignoring the concerned look on Lan Wangji’s face. Lan Wangji took a look around, his brows furrowing. "We should not linger."
"Yes, yes," Wei Wuxian said, waving him off. "Let’s take a look around." He walked towards the house. Somehow, it made him feel almost … calm. He knew that he shouldn't let down his guard but everything about this place seemed both familiar and comforting and it was hard to stay alert when everything within him wanted to sit down and watch the clouds.
He heard voices from inside the house. Children’s voices. He exchanged a quick glance with Lan Wangji and found the same worry in the alpha’s eyes that he felt inside.
"That’s not at all unsettling," Wei Wuxian murmured sarcastically.
The children inside the house sounded happy, yelling in joy and laughter. And Wei Wuxian felt that strange pull inside of him that wanted him to run towards that door, rip it open and greet those children with a warm hug. And every part of him—at least every part that was thinking logically—screamed at him to get out of there immediately.
"Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji asked after Wei Wuxian hadn’t moved for a long moment. "Are you alright?"
Wei Wuxian nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the door of the house. "Yeah. It's just … Something wants me to let down my guard and it’s really hard to resist, y’know?"
"Don’t worry. I’ll watch out for the both of us."
Wei Wuxian wanted to argue, wanted to tell Lan Wangji that he didn’t need some alpha to swoop in and save him, that he didn’t need anyone else to watch out for him. In truth, he knew that this would not be the first time his sleep-deprived and exhausted body would fail him. He was … grateful. Right now, they were a team, they had to work together and Wei Wuxian knew that. He swallowed down that urge to snap back at Lan Wangji. "Okay."
He could feel the alpha’s gaze in his back, could almost see the man’s face scrunch up with that closed off worried look. Wei Wuxian sighed and then went to open the door of the small house. Immediately, he was overwhelmed by a scent that seemed so incredibly familiar and comforting that he almost teared up. Inside the house, two children sat at a table, playing a game of cards. Both looked up when they heard someone enter the house, their faces lighting up with joy when they saw Wei Wuxian.
"Baba!" they called almost in sync.