Chapter Text
In the weeks after the Cloud Recesses conference Lan Zhan found himself inexplicably bored. Though he was relieved for the return to tranquility and order, Lan Zhan realized he missed hearing Wei Wuxian’s boisterous laughter echoing through the misty courtyards. Even though he often left him scandalized, there had been an element of thrill waiting to hear what would come out of his mouth next. Lan Zhan wished he’d been able to spend more time with Wei Wuxian, but he’d always been arm in arm with his brother and that other boy, Nie Huaisang.
Though Cloud Recesses was a sanctuary for propriety, it was tough to ignore the gossip that floated around Gusu. After his heroics in Caiyi Town, Wei Wuxian had become a sort of minor celebrity among cultivation circles. Everyone whispered about Jiang Fengmin’s mischievous adoptive son—he flouted the rules like breathing, but no one could deny his talent. Lan Zhan wanted to hear more about how Wei Wuxian was doing, but it would be too embarrassing to ask around for updates.
With a start, Lan Zhan recalled a snippet of conversation he’d overheard when everyone was still at Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian had been making fun of Nie Huaisang’s porn collecting habits, when the other boy jumped in to defend himself.
“That’s not true, I do other things than buy spring books!”
“Yeah, like birdwatching?” Jiang Cheng scoffed.
“No, I’ve also been reading and writing recently.”
“You, Nie-Xiong? I’ve never seen you pick up any of the texts we’re supposed to be studying.” Wei Wuxian joked.
“Obviously not those — they’re no fun. I mean on the Internet. There’s this website called AO3 where you can find stories about anything . You can also write about whatever you want too.”
“Oh, so you’re reading porn instead of just looking at it now,” Jiang Cheng said.
“How did you get access to that here? Almost everything is blocked.” Wei Wuxian chimed in.
Lan Zhan rounded the corner to see Huaisang fan himself dramatically in mock offense. “I won’t show you unless your brother takes that back— Oh hello Lan-er-gongzi.” He fell silent as soon as Lan Zhan appeared. Jiang Cheng cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed. “Do you know what websites we can access in Cloud Recesses?”
“Rule 2994 forbids disciples from using the internet without permission from a senior member,” Lan Zhan stated as he continued walking.
Despite having heard the rule, Wei Wuxian’s face lit up. “So you do have computers here! Lan Zhan, can you show us —?” But Lan Zhan had already walked away. The last thing he heard was Jiang Cheng berating his brother and Huaisang’s nervous laughter.
Wei Wuxian was right, Cloud Recesses did have computers. With the exception of Lan Qiren, Lan Clan members were not allowed to have their own personal devices. The only one with unrestricted internet access was kept under heavy supervision. Which is how Lan Zhan found himself making an excuse to enter the Hall of Forbidden Books one afternoon when his curiosity became too burning to bear. The guard outside knew he wasn’t supposed to go in alone, but he also knew Lan-er-gongzi’s reputation as Lan Qiren’s favorite student, so he let him pass.
Inside, the computer’s glowing screen beckoned Lan Zhan in. With trembling fingers, he typed in the name of the website Nie Huaisang had mentioned. The text on the search results page was still blue — no one had ever used this computer to access it before. Any story, Huaisang had boasted. There had to be something about Wei Wuxian there. The other boys had all looked up to him during their time studying, making up ridiculous stories about what rules Wei-gongzi had decided to break. And besides, Lan Zhan had seen the way girls whispered and giggled when Wei Wuxian walked by. If anyone were to be the subject of speculation, it would be him.
Upon clicking, the first thing Lan Zhan noticed was the red accents of the page design. It reminded him of the ribbon Wei Wuxian wore in his hair. He felt his face flush to match the vibrant hue.
Mouth dry, he moused over to the search bar. “W” he typed slowly. The clack of the key seemed to echo throughout the chamber. Lan Zhan watched as the cursor flashed expectantly for the next letter. His heart thudded to the rhythm of its incessant blinking. The room was beginning to feel unbearably warm. What was he doing? He’d already broken a rule coming into the Hall, but somehow this felt infinitely worse. Lan Zhan is not a voyeur , he muttered to himself.
He imagined Wei Wuxian sidling up to him and looking over his shoulder. Lan Zhan what’s this? You wouldn’t drink, but now you’re looking for stories about me? A delighted smile crossed imaginary-Wei Wuxian’s face. I’m so flattered!
Lan Zhan slammed down hard on the exit button, erasing the page from the screen. Nausea roiled in his stomach. This wasn’t proper behavior for a Lan Clan member. He should be working on his cultivation, not surfing the Internet! No wonder Nie Huaisang was such a poor cultivator. With his sleeve, Lan Zhan hastily wiped his sweaty fingerprints off the keyboard and mouse. After making sure everything was well and truly cleared, Lan Zhan fled the pavilion, vowing to never touch the computer again.