Work Text:
NOW i'm thinking about cottagecore wlw wangxian for #wlwangxianweek with lan zhan who has a small house on some farmland out in the boonies, and city girl wei ying who goes on a spontaneous road trip after she quits her toxic job and gets spectacularly lost
I don't have many more thoughts, just Lan Zhan in a scarf and old coat and wellies out on a hill, Wei Ying's new sneakers getting stuck in mud walking up the hill to get cell service, Lan Zhan is rude to her because she's not used to talking to new people
Lan Zhan reluctantly lets Wei Ying in the house to use her landline, Wei Ying is instantly charmed by Lan Zhan's home and garden and all the things she does. She falls in love with Lan Zhan's lifestyle immediately, although Wei Ying never thinks of it as something that she could participate in for herself.
Wei Ying still thinks of herself as someone who has to return to the grind of a 9-5 desk job even if that's something she walked away from; she knows she'll have to go back. but she weasels her way into Lan Zhan's life and visits as often as she can, and Lan Zhan quickly accepts it as routine.
It's the thing where they're too close, really, to be just friends, but their lives are incompatible. Lan Zhan has listened to Wei Ying say she could never live out in the country like this, she's much too fast-paced, likes her coffee from a barista (Lan Zhan maybe buys an espresso maker).
Wei Ying imagines Lan Zhan with someone down to earth who can help her bake bread every week and who doesn't scream when the chickens run at her too quickly (although really it was just one time and now Wei Ying even has pet one of them, briefly!! they're friends now).
So nothing happens. Wei Ying gets a new job in the city, it keeps her from visiting Lan Zhan as often as she'd like, but she's saving the money for retirement! she's started to imagine it, maybe even retiring early, although...hm. What would that look like?
It's funny that she imagines Lan Zhan's cottage! Wei Ying's always been such a city slicker, she'd never be able to wake up early enough to feed the alpacas and do all the tasks every day. Sure she does it when she visits Lan Zhan but that's like vacation mode Wei Ying so it doesn't count.
Wei Ying's job gets harder and harder. One day she's crying on the phone to Jiang Yanli, and she blurts out that she wishes she could have Lan Zhan's life. Jiang Yanli says "why can't you?" Wei Ying stops her immediate protests. Really thinks about it. It's a few minutes before Jiang Yanli asks if she's still there.
What would she miss about the city? clubbing? she hasn't done that in a decade. Hot coffee? Lan Zhan has that nice espresso maker. She'd miss her friends, but she hardly gets to see them anyway. It's not like she'd never be able to come back.
Wei Ying thinks about Lan Zhan's home, about coming home to Lan Zhan, and cries again, this time because it's overwhelmingly good. It's too much. and would Lan Zhan even want her to come in messing up her life and perfect routine of 5am alarms and breakfast with the barn cats?
Wei Ying thinks maybe she's got a shot at it. After all, Lan Zhan doesn't even drink coffee. So Wei Ying skives off her job for a week and prepares a list of what she could bring to Lan Zhan's life- she could sell Lan Zhan's turnips at the market! She could help her invest in another alpaca!
Wei Ying puts together a full-ass ppt presentation on what she could bring to Lan Zhan's life, because she isn't sure how else to process the fact that this is what she wants. And she's going to ask for it.
Wei Ying drives up to the cottage the next weekend and almost gets lost again several times, she's so jittery. She brought her laptop loaded with the presentation and all of her supporting documents (bank statements, etc, you know, she is Very Responsible).
Lan Zhan can tell something's up. Wei Ying doesn't even refer to her chickens by the very annoying nicknames Wei Ying gave them that Lan Zhan definitely doesn't use for them ever because they are silly and not appropriate (seriously who calls a chicken “butthead”). Wei Ying asks to show Lan Zhan something.
Lan Zhan has genuinely no clue what could happen next. Wei Ying fires up her laptop and pulls up a slide deck with the title "Why Wei Ying Quitting Her Job And Moving In With You Would Be A Value Add" Lan Zhan reads the slide. She swallows, and reads it again.
"Yes."
"But you didn't even see the–"
“–I don't need to. Yes. Move in with me."
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whines, "What if you don't like it."
"I will like it."
"But what if I'm secretly in love with you a little and–"
"Good."
Lan Zhan decides now is a good time to tug Wei Ying into her lap and kiss her.
Obviously a few hours later Wei Ying insists on Lan Zhan sitting through the whole presentation because she WORKED HARD ON IT, which Lan Zhan does but she keeps distracting Wei Ying by kissing her or running her hand along Wei Ying's calf or generally being a nuisance.
Lan Zhan makes little comments to show she's paying attention, mostly agreeing with Wei Ying but occasionally asking follow up questions. Wei Ying finds it hard to be too annoyed that Lan Zhan is distracting her because she feels so light; for the first time in a long time she feels like herself.
When Wei Ying finally quits her job (no notice, because fuck 'em), she feels so so good. so relieved. That's how she knows it's the right choice. When she moves out of her apt, she feels a little sad, but still good. Still right.
Her final drive to the cottage with her belongings is so joyful. She blasts music and screams along, and the alpacas look at her funny as she drives up the hill. She waits for the song to finish, not in any rush to go inside just yet. There's plenty of time, now she's home.