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“I’m Wei Ying!”
Lan Qiren looks down at the little boy, only six years old, feels his chest tighten. Life hasn’t been kind to this child—his parents dying, living on the streets, dealing with starvation and abuse—but he’s still such a sweet boy. He’s kind, he smiles, he thanks Lan Qiren for offering him even the smallest kindness. Lan Qiren’s next words come naturally.
“Wei Ying… My name is Lan Qiren. I— I knew your parents. I’d like to take you somewhere safe if you’ll let me.”
“Shushu knew a-die and a-niang?”
“Mn, I was good friends with them. Your a-niang wrote me letters about you when you were small I remember,” he says, “I think she’d be happy if you came with me so I could keep you safe.”
“Safe?”
“Yes, safe. You’ll have lots of food to eat, and a warm place to sleep, and nice clothes. There are some rules to follow, but everywhere has rules. I’m sure even living like you do now there are some rules, aren’t there?”
The boy nods, and he seems to be taking Lan Qiren’s offer seriously. Finally, he asks, “Are… are there dogs there, shushu? Where we’re going?”
“Maybe on the way, but once we get there, no. No dogs.”
His expression brightens, and he chirps, “Then I’ll go with shushu! Let’s go now!”
Lan Qiren takes his little outstretched hand, and they set off for Cloud Recesses.
“But— But I’m still hungry, shushu!”
His eyes are wide and filled with tears, his voice loud in the dining hall. Having lived with two children long enough to know that a meltdown is imminent, Lan Qiren quickly but gently shushes Wei Ying and takes him out of the dining hall. As soon as they’re outside, Lan Qiren is met with loud wails and tears, Wei Ying breaking down. It takes a while to calm him down, but once he does, he quickly learns why Wei Ying is upset.
“Shushu— Shushu promised I could eat! Shushu promised I’d have lots of food! Why can’t I eat more if I’m still hungry?”
The sobs renew, and only once Lan Qiren calms him down a second time, can he explain, “Three bowls of food is a good amount. One of our rules is that we don’t eat more than that so we can make sure others have food to eat.”
That catches Wei Ying’s attention. Lan Qiren continues, “It also helps teach restraint.”
“What’s—What’s that?”
“Restraint is something we can use in daily life. For instance, if we’re angry, restraint helps keeps us from fighting or yelling. If we’re frightened, restraint helps keep us from being too afraid to do what needs to be done. Any emotion that’s too strong to be helpful, restraint will keep us on the right path. Does that make sense?”
“I—I think so.”
“Good. When it comes to food, restraint keeps us from eating too much food. Eating too much food will make you feel sick and sluggish. So we eat slowly, and give our bodies time to realize there’s food in our bellies. I bet if you think about it right now, you’ll realize you had just enough to eat, Wei Ying, and you aren’t hungry right now.”
“But… But…”
His lips wobbles, and he asks in a quiet little voice, “But what if there’s no food tomorrow?”
“There will always be food here, Wei Ying. Listen… at dinner tonight, I’ll make sure you can have as much as you want to eat, but you need to listen to your belly and let it tell you when you’re full, alright? I don’t want you to be sick. And I’ll be there with you, so you can eat nice and slow, because if I’m there, then no one can take anything away from you, right?”
Wei Ying thinks about it very hard, then nods in agreement, saying, “That’s right! Shushu protects Wei Ying!”
“That’s right. Come now, let’s go back in. A-Zhan looked sad when we left so quickly…”
Lan Zhan and Wei Ying have gone from fast friends to inseparable over the last couple of years. It started when Wei Ying would go with Lan Zhan to the Gentian House, kneeling with Lan Zhan, both of them talking about how they missed their mothers. Wei Ying has brought out a playful side of Lan Zhan, and Lan Zhan has helped Wei Ying be more calm and introspective when needed. They get along better than Lan Qiren would ever have expected. Almost too well.
And Wei Ying has come into his own in Cloud Recesses. He’s quickly and thoroughly learned the rules, and he abides by them as best he can. But sometimes…
“Wei Ying, do you understand why you’re being punished today?”
Standing before Lan Qiren with a black eye, he must know.
“Because I was fighting without permission, Lan-shu— Lan-xiansheng.”
“Why were you fighting? And with a boy so much older than you?”
“He was saying mean things about Lan Zhan! I couldn’t let him get away with it!”
“That’s another rule. ‘Do not succumb to rage.’ I know you know them all.”
“Then he broke rules too! ‘Do not disrespect the younger.’ ‘Do not praise yourself and slander others.’ ‘Do not insult people.’ He broke even more rules than I did!”
“He did… and he is being dealt with by the head of discipline. I am dealing with your behavior, Wei Ying. You weren’t a very good representative of the Lan Clan.”
“Well, he wasn’t a very good guest.”
Lan Qiren sighs. There’s certainly no one better in Cloud Recesses at arguing than Wei Ying. The problem with him knowing the rules so well is that he can argue why he didn’t actually break them in the first place.
“Shufu?”
Lan Zhan stands in the doorway, looking nervously between Lan Qiren and Wei Ying. Another sigh, and Lan Qiren says, “Come in, A-Zhan.”
Lan Zhan hurries to Wei Ying’s side, standing as close to him as possible.
“Shufu, I heard what Wei Ying did. Is he being punished?”
“He is. You know as well he does what rules were broken.”
The boys share a look, and Lan Qiren is already wavering. Not a lot… but more than he would be normally. At least he already has the punishment set out.
“Wei Ying… you’re going to be helping out the healers for two weeks. Anything they need, you will fetch it. Anything they ask you to help with, you’ll help. You’ll stay with Lan Yongci for those two weeks as his assistant. Understand?”
The boys won’t like it. They’ve lived together ever since Wei Ying came to Cloud Recesses three years ago… but it’s a fair punishment. Wei Ying hurt someone, so he has to help others who have been hurt. Lan Zhan’s hand slips into Wei Ying’s, and they share another look.
“I understand, Lan-shushu,” Wei Ying says, a pout forming.
Softening a little, Lan Qiren tells them, “Two weeks will be over before you even know it. If you make it through these two weeks, Wei Ying… we’ll do something special for your birthday. It’s not long after that.”
Wei Ying’s eyes light up.
“Yes, Lan-shushu! I’ll be very good! Won’t I, Lan Zhan?”
“Wei Ying is always good,” Lan Zhan says firmly.
“Lan Yongci is waiting for you, Wei Ying.”
Lan Zhan watches him go, a sad look on his face, so to cheer him up, Lan Qiren asks him, “What do you think we should do for Wei Ying’s birthday, Lan Zhan?”
As it turns out, Lan Zhan has many, many ideas about that.
When Wei Ying is twelve, an unexpected visitor comes to Cloud Recesses. Well, he’s not entirely unexpected. Other sect leaders come to Cloud Recesses fairly often to meet with Lan Qiren as he’s the acting sect leader until Lan Xichen fully comes of age. To see Jiang Fengmian is not unusual. His reasoning for this visit, however…
“I’d like to take Wei Ying back to Lotus Pier.”
That request is entirely unexpected.
“Wei Wuxian has lived here for nearly six years,” Lan Qiren says, “Cloud Recesses is his home. I doubt he’ll want to leave.”
“I’d like to ask him anyway, Lan-xiong, if you’ll allow it.”
Lan Qiren prickles a little. Wei Ying—Wei Wuxian—has lived here and considered it his home since Lan Qiren found him when he was six. Not only that, but he’s so fond of Lan Zhan…
As if on cue, Wei Ying comes barreling into Lan Qiren’s meeting room, calling, “Lan-shushu! Lan-shushu, I just found— Oh, I’m sorry, Lan-shushu, I didn’t realize you were meeting with someone.”
“It’s alright, Wei Wuxian, you can come in. This is Jiang Fengmian, sect leader of the Yunmeng Jiang.”
Lan Qiren feels a little flare of pride as Wei Ying executes a perfect bow, saying, “Hello, Jiang-zongzhu. This humble disciple is pleased to meet you.”
“You needn’t be so formal, Wei Ying. You should call me Jiang-shushu,” Jiang Fengmian says, smiling, “Come, I’d like to talk to you.”
Wei Ying comes and sits by Lan Qiren. He looks like a perfect Lan disciple: not a hair out of place, his posture straight, his plain white forehead ribbon just right, not a speck on his white robes. The only thing that stands out is the red ribbon he uses to tie his hair with, something that Lan Qiren had found him with and Wei Ying said had belonged to his mother.
“What would you like to talk to me about, Jiang-zongzhu?”
Jiang Fengmian says, “I want to tell you all about Lotus Pier, where I live…” and off he goes, telling Wei Ying every little thing about Lotus Pier in Yunmeng, making it sound like it’s the most perfect and beautiful place to live. Wei Ying’s eyes are wide as he listens, taking in every little bit about lakes and frogs and heat and fireflies. Lan Qiren feels a surge of jealousy regarding the boy. He’s lived here for half his life, and Jiang Fengmian just wants to sweep him away? Just like that?
“And did you know, Wei Ying? I knew your parents. We were close friends. In fact, your father lived at Lotus Pier for a long time. He was a servant there, but I considered him a close friend. I was very sad when I heard that he and your mother had died, and I went looking for you. I— I’m glad that Lan Qiren found you and kept you safe.”
“Lan-shushu takes very good care of me.”
“That’s good to hear… but I was hoping you’d like to come to Lotus Pier, where your father lived. I’m sure he’d be happy if you were there, if you became friends with my children, just like he and I were friends.”
“My parents were friends with Lan-shushu too. And I’m already good friends with Lan Zhan and Xichen-gege. Wouldn’t that make them happy?”
Jiang Fengmian blinks, which Lan Qiren recognizes as confusion. Surely, he couldn’t have thought that he would just walk in and leave with Wei Ying in tow after some pretty words?
“Of course. Of course they would be happy that you’re safe,” is all Jiang Fengmian can say.
Lan Qiren speaks up, “Wei Wuxian is free to make his own choices. Whether he stays or goes, I’ll leave it up to him.”
Wei Ying looks up at him, worried. Lan Qiren simply tells him, “You’re a disciple of Gusu Lan. Be true to yourself.”
The boy thinks for a long moment, finally saying, “I think-... Lotus Pier sounds really pretty. I think I could come visit Lotus Pier… but my home is here in Cloud Recesses. I don’t think I could leave for a long time. I wouldn’t want to do that. Lan Zhan and Xichen-gege and Lan-shushu would miss me a lot, and I would miss them.”
“Lotus Pier is a lot of fun though. Remember what I told you, there are lakes to swim in, and lots of delicious food, and big markets to explore... My son A-Cheng is a lot of fun to play with, too, and he has some dogs you can play with.”
Lan Qiren feels Wei Ying stiffen beside him. Seeing an out for Wei Ying, he says, “Jiang-xiong, Wei Wuxian is… not very fond of dogs. Perhaps it isn’t a good time for him to visit just now.”
“Perhaps… maybe— maybe one day in the future…”
Jiang Fengmian leaves without Wei Ying, who’s still beside Lan Qiren. Lan Qiren finds that he’s quite pleased. He’s become very fond of Wei Ying over the years, and he would have been upset if Wei Ying had decided to go with Jiang Fengmian… but he’d somehow known that wouldn’t happen.
“Lan-shushu… Lan-shushu, are you glad I wanted to stay?” he asks quietly.
“Of course I am,” Lan Qiren answers immediately, “I would have understood if you wanted to go and see where your father was from. I would have been sad, but I would have understood.”
Wei Ying scoots a little closer to Lan Qiren and whispers, “Maybe I’ll go one day… but for now I want to stay with you and Lan Zhan.”
Lan Qiren settles a hand on Wei Ying’s shoulder.
“You can stay as long as you like. This is your home, after all.”
It isn’t often that Lan Qiren gets to watch Lan Zhan and Wei Ying spar. They’d only recently received their swords, and they’re certainly taking every opportunity to test them.
(Lan Zhan—Lan Wangji now to everyone—named his sword Bichen, a fine name, poetic and meaningful. Wei Ying, on the other hand… well at least the name Suibian has character and shows off Wei Ying’s lighter attitude. His mother, Cangse Sanren, had an equally ridiculous name for her sword: Lijian. Wei Ying really does take after his mother quite a bit.)
The two of them are perfectly matched, their skills widely superior to their peers, having taken to the art of sword fighting as well as they’d done everything else. They seem to dance around the fighting ring, their blades clashing and clanging, and they aren’t even fighting in front of an audience like they usually are. Lan Qiren is the only one watching them today, examining their form, making sure they’re on the correct footing. Paying such close attention, it’s natural that he notices something off.
Wei Ying knocks Lan Zhan off balance, declaring the fight won.
“Wangji! Wei Wuxian! Come here,” Lan Qiren calls.
Wei Ying helps Lan Zhan up, and they hurry over, bowing politely to Lan Qiren. With a quiet sigh, Lan Qiren asks, “Wangji… why did you let Wei Wuxian win?”
His ears flare red, embarrassed, but Wei Ying only looks a bit puzzled.
“Ah, Lan Zhan, did you really let me win?”
A moment passes before Lan Zhan speaks.
“Wei Ying… Wei Ying was sad. I know he’s happy when he wins, so… I wanted to make Wei Ying happy, shufu.”
“That may be, but it isn’t kind to your opponent to let them win. It’s as though you’re looking down on them and their skills. I think Wei Ying would be happier if you gave him a good, clean fight, even if he lost.”
“That’s right! Lan Zhan, we’re pretty even! We’ve each beaten the other before. Come on! Let’s fight again! I’ll win fair and square this time!”
And he does. Lan Qiren knows the source of sadness is another letter from Jiang Fengmian, entreating the boy to visit Lotus Pier yet again. The letters come twice a year, and if anything, they push Wei Ying further from Lotus Pier each time. Wei Ying gets anxious every time one arrives, worrying that maybe his parents are disappointed in him for not visiting a place they called home, for not visiting one of their oldest friends.
“I’ll say what I always say,” Lan Qiren told him, “Be true to yourself. I knew your parents too, and I think they’re happy even if you never step foot in Lotus Pier because you’re somewhere you can call home.”
Lan Qiren watches them fight another few rounds, exchanging victories before he decides to leave them alone. They don’t need him watching anymore.
Of all the problems Lan Qiren could have, he supposes this is one of the better ones. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying think they’re sneaky. They really do, which doesn’t bode well for their future as cultivators. Three people in the last week alone have asked him if he’s making wedding plans. He watches the two of them put food in each other’s bowls. They sit as close to each as is humanly possible. Lan Zhan even has a smile that he only gives to Wei Ying. Lan Qiren has already had to turn down offers of marriage from outside the sect, not able to bear the looks of loss on either boy’s face when one was offered a marriage.
Worse than that… they’re completely oblivious to each other’s feelings. Certainly they know they like each other at least as good friends, but they don’t seem to understand their romantic feelings are reciprocated. Lan Qiren isn’t someone with a lot of experience in that area, but he can see what’s in front of him.
They’re both eighteen now, and the marriage offers are pouring in from sects far and wide, large and small. Now’s as good a time as any…
“Wangji, Wei Wuxian. I brought you here today to talk to you about marriage.”
Two sets of eyes go wide, staring at Lan Qiren. He continues, “You’ve both received many offers, as you know, and many of those offers would be advantageous for the sect, would create excellent ties between sects and families. They’re offers we need to consider fully for the sake of the Lan sect.”
They both look miserable at the prospect.
“Unless,” Lan Qiren says slowly, “you can both think of a good reason to not think about such offers—”
“Because I want to marry Wei Ying!”
“Because I want to marry Lan Zhan!”
Both their outbursts happen at exactly the same time, both result in flushed cheeks.
“Lan Zhan, I never knew—”
“Wei Ying, I didn’t want to push you away—”
“You could never push me away—”
“I can’t believe you want to marry me too—”
On and on it goes like that, until Lan Qiren clears his throat, making them both jump.
“That sounds to me like it’s settled, if you two want to marry each other. Of course, we’ll have to make an official announcement to let the other sects know. A wedding involving a sect heir is an event that many people have to be invited to. We need to find an auspicious date first.”
“Lan-shushu… how long have you been thinking about this?” Wei Ying asks.
“Long enough. Now, I believe you both have some duties to attend to. We’ll discuss more details soon. Off you go.”
As they head out of Lan Qiren’s room together, he can’t help but think that they’ll be even more insufferable when they’re married, but at least they’ll be happy together.