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Chapter Text

The Cloud Recesses were by their very nature a serene retreat for contemplation and inner peace.

It was nestled in the comfortable grip of a mountain, soft and open fields next to sheer cliff sides and rocky hills.

Clear and icy brooks sprang from rocks and wound their way through the open forests.

Many days, the rushing and mumbling was the only constant companion to the trilling of birds and the mating cries of cicadas.

Today was not one of those days.

"Out! Out! All of you out!!!"

A wave of students rushed out of the Lanshi, just shy of breaking the rule of no running in the Cloud Recesses.

The culprit of the commotion, and cause for the yelling, quickly ducked to the side to get out of the grandmaster's line of sight as fast as possible.
The frown on his face turned into a pout when Lan Wangji, who was leaving at a sedate pace in the back of the group, shot him a pointed frown.

Wei Wuxian threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I didn't even mean to provoke him this time! Master is so inflexible!"

The throng of students passed with more than one admiring (and some derisive) look in his direction.

When Lan Wangji too left with one last stern glare, Wei Wuxian slumped against the wall, eyes cast down.

A shadow fell over him.

"Wei Wuxian..."

"Your teeth will crack if you don't stop grinding them so hard."

Jiang Wanyin scoffed, took a deep breath and very obviously geared himself up for a tirade.

"Wei Wuxian! What do you think you are going to accomplish with this behavior! We were sent here to represent Yunmeng Jiang! I know you like to treat life like a game, but this is serious! We can't rely on our sect's reputation to carry us out of trouble with these people forever! Sooner or later we will lose face, and it will shame not only us, but the whole clan!"

"Hey, Jiang Cheng! How was that right now even my fault!?"

A scoff tore their attention away from each other, and they glared at the Jin sneering at them in unison.

Jiang Wanyin narrowed his eyes.

"What, you got something to say to us?"

The Jin disciple, recognizable by his golden embroidery even in the student robes, sniffed haughtily.

"If a master scolds a servant, is it not obvious who's at fault? How pretentious. But we have all known for a long time that in Junmeng, the dogs may come and go as they please, with no respect for their owners."

For a moment, there was stunned silence, and then Jiang Wanyin started radiating fury.

"What. Did. You. Just. Call. Him."

"Oh, don't pretend to have your dignity offended. I have seen firsthand what the power and standing of the Junmeng Jiang are actually worth when we threw you out of your own inn. That sect might have once been counted among the great, but those times are long gone. The little games your servant is playing can only distract from the truth for so long."

Murderous fury flashed over Jiang Wanyin's face, and he stomped towards the Jin disciple, fist already raised and sizzling with spiritual energy.

"I am going to-"

"Jiang Cheng! Stop!"

Wei Wuxian quickly jumped forward, ashen faced but determined. His interference gave the rapidly paling Jin a chance to retreat hastily, but not without one last condescending sneer towards them.

Jiang Wanyin let out a furious hiss, and punched Wei Wuxian in the side instead.

"Oof!"

"Why did you stop me?! The little shit deserves to be taken down a notch!"

Wei Wuxian grimaced and shrugged.

"Who cares. He's just a nobody. But if we go around beating up random weaklings, we really will damage Yunmeng Jiang's reputation."

Jiang Wanyin turned to him incredulously.

"He called you a fucking servant!"

Wei Wuxian turned away quickly, but for once not fast enough for the younger to catch a glimpse of his expression.

"Jiang Cheng... That's what I am."

Hastily, he held up a hand to stave off the rant already forming on his foster brother's rapidly purpling face.

"I know that is not true for you or Shijie, and maybe even Jiang Shushu! You are my family, and I know I am your brother in all but blood. It's just that..."

He shrugged helplessly before continuing.

"For all of my education, position and your support, I'm not a member of the gentry. I did not even come forward to pledge myself to the sect or enter a contract. I'm just... there. Not truly a member of the main family, but no ordinary disciple either. Trained to serve as your right hand, in whichever capacity you decide."

For a long, endless moment, Jiang Wanyin looked stricken. He swallowed, and the fist still clenched tightly at his side trembled.

When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"But... You are favored. I thought..."

He shook himself, as if to brush off the spider web of confusion clinging to him.

"You are trained to replace me? In case... In case. And anyway. You are better at archery. At sword fighting. Hell, even at making connections!"

Wei Wuxian blinked.

"Jiang Cheng... do you think a sect leader is called suitable just because he can hit the hardest? Win the most fights? That's ridiculous! That's what you have servants for! A good leader has to always look at the wellbeing of their clan first, and at his personal desires second. They don't have to do everything, they just have to know who to pick for the job to get it done! I don't even know what a sect leader's most important skill is, but it sure as hell is not shooting kites!"

Jiang Wanyin swallowed visibly, and then shook himself.

"You! I am not dealing with this. And you are delusional if you think I am going to let some random Jin get away with demeaning our First Disciple."

Wei Wuxian sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Let them talk about me. Who cares? What is actually offensive is the peacock and his cronies throwing around their money to bully other sects, and then having the gall to try and make it look like a weakness on our part! Those Jin really need to be taught a lesson not to mess with the Yunmeng Jiang!"

"They better not get away with this. But I would still like to know why you stopped me from hitting him."

"Because, Jiang Cheng, a little weasel like this does not deserve us actually getting in trouble over him. And I can think of a few things that are going to hurt his ego much more than your fists."

With his foster brother's arm slung over his shoulder, and a calculating look on his face, Jiang Wanyin slowly unwound from the tight coil he had found himself in after his sect brother's uncomfortable outburst of feelings.

"Alright. Tell me what you have in mind."

They walked away with their heads stuck together and eyes glinting mischievously.

It was only when they were out of sight, that a pale figure stepped out from the tree overshadowing a different path.
The very same moment, the door to the Lanshi slid open.

The eyes of Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen met, and their twin frowns made them look even more similar to each other than usual.

Lan Xichen cleared his throat.

"That was... troubling."

His younger brother nodded gravely.

"Wei Ying tried to excuse his lateness by claiming it to have been Jin Zixuan's fault."

Lan Xichen pursed his lips.

"True. I had not truly considered his words. I confess I had thought them empty excuses. But perhaps there is more to the story after all."

"Mn."

Satisfied with his brother's agreement, he could not help but add with an impish smile:

"We are not touching the internal affairs of the Jiang clan."

"Mn."

This time, the answer sounded far more rebellious, and Lan Xichen could not help the fond chuckle.

This earned him a dirty look.

"Xiongzhang. Eavesdropping is forbidden. Gossip is forbidden."

Lan Xichen nodded sagely, not trying overly hard to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Handstands?"

"Mn. And conduct. Ten times."

"I look forward to spending time with you, Wangji. We can discuss what we are going to do about those two troublemakers then."

Chapter Text

The next day found the two Yunmeng disciples hard at work. Even Lan Qiren let out a sigh of relief when it became apparent that both his least favored student, and his most annoying collaborators were either deeply immersed in their writing, or staring in confusion.

Only Lan Wangji was casting narrow eyed glances at his fellow students even more frequently than usual, his posture becoming stiffer and stiffer with every minute passing incident free.
He truly was a suspicious soul, Wei Wuxian thought fondly when he glanced up from the paper he was writing on in the calligraphy that would almost certainly not be recognizable as his own.
He shot the other boy a grin and a wave, and received a scathing eyebrow twist in return. But for all the disdain in his expression, Wei Wuxian could clearly see the young Lan disciple's posture relaxing ever so slightly into a position less likely to result in back cramps, and smiled in relief.
Then he returned his attention to his own desk, took out another sheet of paper, and continued writing with utmost concentration.

The hours passed, and without the constant trouble he was for once not causing, Wei Wuxian actually had the late afternoon free of punishment.

He used the opportunity to drag Jiang Wanyin down into Caiyi town in order to purchase a goat.

Jiang Wanyin had looked at him with utmost suspicion when he had been told of those plans.

"I thought this whole thing was because we were not going to get ourselves in trouble."

Wei Wuxian pouted.

"Jiang Cheng, we might be cutting it a bit close, but we can make it back before the gates close if we hurry. And a goat is not a pet, and we are not going to eat it either, so there is no way this will break the rules of Cloud Recesses."

The unimpressed stare did not clear up at all.

"And since when have you of all people become an expert on the Lan clan rules?! Keeping a goat in our student quarters can't possibly be allowed!"

"Well, for now, it technically is. Maybe we should not announce that we have a goat, though. It would be a shame if Lan-Laoshi felt the need to add even more rules to that horrible rock, would it? And the goat is absolutely necessary. Do you want to make that peacock lookalike suffer or not?"

Jiang Wanyin hesitated, seeming torn. But after a moment, he nodded, as Wei Wuxian had known he would.

His Shidi had been on the receiving end of his schemes far, far too often to doubt their effectiveness. Or their resulting in utter humiliation for the victim.

"Alright. Let's go and teach that fucker a lesson."

xxx

Lan Wangji took unhurried steps towards the gates, but he could feel his heart racing. Thankfully the weather was mild and not too warm, or else he imagined he would have started sweating from the nerves already.

He was not actually breaking the rules right now, but what he had planned certainty held the potential of rule breaking in the near future.

He had never in his life set out to intentionally break a rule before.

He was just about to turn around and give up to seclude himself in the Jingshi for an extended meditation, when his brother caught up to him with long strides.

After mustering his younger brother for a long moment, Lan Xichen sent him a knowing smile.

"Wangji. Just think of it as observing the guest disciples to prevent further disruption."

"Will Xiongzhang actually interfere?"

But even as he said it in a flat, skeptical tone, Lan Wangji slowly untensed.

This year's guest study periods had caused great upheaval in Lan Wangji's life, and he was sure he had had quite enough of it. But his curiosity was nudging at him incessantly in an entirely unfamiliar way.
It was maddening. But having his elder brother at his side centered and calmed him, especially now that he had mostly stopped teasing every time Wei Wuxian walked by.

They quickly passed the gates, and the disciples on guard bowed deferentially.

Lan Xichen turned to them with a sunny smile.

"We might be out a bit late. Please have patience with us."

The guards hastened to bow again, and answered with star-struck expressions.

"ZewuJun! Of course we will wait for ZewuJun's return!"

Lan Xichen's eyes practically twinkled with mirth.

"I am honored by your kindness and diligence."

After they had left the gate behind them, Lan Wangji turned to his brother reproachfully.
There was absolutely no question in his mind that the only reason Lan Xichen had for urging the guards to remain at their posts for longer than usual was to give the two Yunmeng Jiang disciples more time for whatever they were plotting.

"Xiongzhang. We are observing. Not aiding."

But Lan Xichen only grinned at him and mounted his sword.

They flew down to Caiyi, and soon found the two troublemakers in the crowd. Fortunately, Lan robes were not an uncommon sight in these streets.
Unfortunately, Lan Wangji's aura of coldness ensured they could not actually get very close without being very, very obvious.

Thankfully, it did not matter as much as he had feared.
Even over the noise in the crowded streets, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin were loud.

"Come on, Jiang Cheng! This is perfect! You know a braggart like that would absolutely scream like a five year old girl!"

"Absolutely not! Are you out of your fucking mind?! I am not going in there!"

"Suit yourself! Then I will! We only need a single layer anyway. Those white Lan robes will certainly come in handy this time!"

Lan Xichen tilted his head in confusion.

"That store is selling clothing. What could they be up to in there?"

Lan Wangji did not reply. He was not very knowledgeable in causing disturbances in the first place, and everything Wei Ying did was confusing. It was hard to make an informed judgment when one was missing the baseline for normal behavior.

"Buying cloth is not against the rules?"

Even to himself, he sounded uncertain.

Lan Wangji disliked talking when he was not certain of himself. (When he was certain of himself, he was of the opinion that talking was unnecessary, because it should be obvious. His favorite method of communication was pointed gazes from the corners of his eyes.)

But he was relieved that for once, it seemed his brother was just as lost concerning social interactions as he was.

Lan Xichen's answer was positively hesitant while his eyes tracked the movement of Jiang Wanyin pacing with ever increasing agitation.

"Not as such? The only thing I could think of would be switching out someone's clothing, but a single layer certainly would not be enough for that."

By then, Wei Wuxian had exited the shop with a neatly wrapped bundle in his hands and a grin so radiant it rivaled the sun.
His martial brother immediately accosted him with vicious hisses they could not quite understand.

Lan Wangji wanted to shift from the sudden fluttering in his stomach.

His brother was watching him intently, and his smile widened.

"Gathering information on potential disruptions of the peace is growing more vital with every new hint uncovered.
Wangji, we must remain diligent."

The tips of his ears flushed, and he looked to the side in embarrassment.

"Mn."

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian had not stopped grinning for over an hour.

Phase one of their plan was due to come to fruition just about now.

Next to him, Jiang Chang was sitting up straight with an expression usually found only in cats watching birds through a glass window.

How the Jin standing next to Grandmaster Lan in the front of the class was not breaking out in cold sweat from the predatory energy sent into his direction was a true mystery.

Lan Qiren cleared his throat.

"This is one of the most well researched and skillful breakdowns of the basics of cultivation theory I have ever seen.

Now tell me, young master Jin. Who wrote it for you?"

The whole classroom fell deadly silent.
This was not the first time the Grandmaster had issued accusations of cheating. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian had earned themselves exhaustive punishment for passing notes during a test, but never before had this concerned a whole assignment.

The Jin boy in the front stared in confusion.

Wei Wuxian was so absorbed in the spectacle, that he only noticed Lan Wangji moving when he abruptly stood upright.

He flinched from the icy glare the second Jade of Lan shot him. He swallowed, mind churning and panic rising. Did Lan Wangji know?! Had he somehow realized their scheme?! This would get them into far more trouble than anything else he had done so far if they were caught. Trying to interfere with a classmate's education had to be a far more serious offense than a cup of wine, even if the quality was actually better than what the student could produce. (Something that Wei Wuxian had gambled on, since he did not actually know if the Jin was well read or not.)

Sure enough, Lan Wangji stepped up to his uncle's desk and spoke in a quiet but clear voice.

"Shufu. I believe I have insight on this matter. The exchanged reports may not be young master Jin's fault."

While he had spoken, the Jin had caught a glimpse of the work in question, and from the widening of his eyes, he did not recognize it.

Lan Qiren humphed.

"Indeed? I highly doubt that this is the result of a simple mistake."

"It is not!"

Both Lans and the rest of the gathered students turned to the Jin at his sudden outburst.

"It is not, what?"

"It is not a mistake! I wrote it! You said it yourself, this is the best work you have seen in a long time. This time you can't deny your precious Jades being surpassed by a worthy rival!"

Lan Wangji stared.

"Lying is forbidden. Taking credit for academic works not your own is especially forbidden."

The Jin scoffed.

"That is my name on the report. That is all the proof you need that it is mine."

For a long moment, Lan Wangji stared incredulously.

Then stiffly, he turned his back and returned to his seat without another word.

The Lanshi was completely quiet for another moment, and the tension hung thick in the air.

It was a relief when Lan Qiren's shouting crashed over them like thunder, and Wei Wuxian finally relaxed his tense muscles.

He shivered from the cold sweat running down his back, and only after the Grandmaster had shouted himself hoarse did he chance a glance at Jiang Wanyin.

Their eyes met, and they silently vowed to not attempt anything inside the classroom again for a good long while.

xxx

"That was too close. How the fuck did the jade statue even know?! Do you think he actually knew something, or just assumed it was your fault on principle?"

Wei Wuxian looked up from where he was holding young branches with tender leaves out to their newly purchased goat.

"Don't call him that! I can't believe Lan Zhan actually let us off. I am going to do something nice for him."

The goat bleated when Wei Wuxian ran out of treats, and he idly reached to the table and started feeding it a stack of papers.

"Goats are kind of cute. Do you think Lan Zhan might like one?"

Jiang Wanyin crossed his arms and glared at him.

"No."

Wei Wuxian sighed dreamily.

"You are right. Goats are a bit loud. Lan Zhan should have quiet pets that appreciate his serene elegance. Maybe something small and fluffy.
He probably won't take anything coming from me though."

His shoulders slumped, and he pushed away the snout that started to nibble curiously at his sleeve.

Jiang Wanyin let out a pained growl and twitched uncomfortably.

"Anyway, that idiot has not suffered enough. He just stood there and insisted the report was his. And then he looked surprised when Master Lan roasted his ass! Probably didn't even understand half the words he was saying.
A dumbass of that caliber is probably not going to be able to understand the difference of failing miserably, and failing in disgrace.
So pull yourself together and stop being so embarrassing."

Cheered up by his foster brother's gentle support, Wei Wuxian shifted closer and bumped their shoulders together.

"As it happens, we have just the right thing for tonight."

He pulled out the bundle of cloth they had purchased in Caiyi.

Jiang Wanyin immediately shifted away from him.

"Absolutely not. You are going to get caught and cut in half by the first half asleep idiot you run across."

Wei Wuxian scooted closer again with an angelic grin, and pulled a large and intricate talisman out of his sleeves.

Jiang Wanyin scoffed when he took it from his hands.

"I really doubt this is something your little tricks could- Oh."

He stared at the offending piece of paper wide eyed.

"- You didn't."

"I did."

"But how? No, never mind. I don't actually want to know. Are you sure this works."

Wei Wuxian nodded seriously.

"Absolutely sure."

"Alright. Fuck. This might actually work. You are going to be pretty wiped out tomorrow, though."

The innocent look he had given Jiang Wanyin morphed into a malicious grin.

"Me? Oh my sweet, innocent Shidi. I am not going to be the one playing dress up! I bought the clothes in your size."

Jiang Wanyin's expression turned purple.

xxx

Lan Xichen blinked.

He set the teacup back down without taking a single sip.

"You... what?"

Lan Wangji stared at his brother in abject misery.

"Wangji purposefully did not report a wrongdoing he knew about."

Lan Xichen took a deep breath, and looked at his younger brother intently.

"That is very unlike you. Will you tell me about it?"

Lan Wangji would really rather not. But an important part of confessing one's crimes was actually confessing one's crimes.

"Circumstances should not matter. The rules are the rules."

"Ah. So there were circumstances. I had suspected."

He pinched his lips in affront.

"Xiongzhang."

Lan Xichen cleared his throat, and took very obvious efforts not to smile.

"Of course, Wangji. Please continue."

"The disciple had turned in an assignment very obviously not written by him. This would, of course, lead to severe accusations of dishonesty and cheating. I attempted to clear up the situation, but the disciple insisted he had written it himself! He deliberately insisted on taking the credit for another's work! At a time when to his knowledge it was a simple misunderstanding!"

Lan Wangji exhaled in frustration. He simply did not understand! Honesty would have been such an easy solution! He could perhaps even, in a very abstract way, understand why someone less versed in the rules governing all aspects of life might lie to get out of trouble. But that Jin had lied in a way that ensured even more punishment!

Lan Xichen finally picked up his teacup again and looked at him in a way that suggested he was thinking very carefully how to explain a simple concept to someone not likely to understand it.

He furrowed his brows before his blother could even start speaking.

"Wangji... I have come to the realization that sometimes, no many times, people's motivations for their actions are simply not based on thought at all, but on impulse. It is even different from what we have recently seen from Wei Wuxian, because for all he is impulsive, he is also highly intelligent. If however a person is neither thoughtful nor-"

A piercing scream tore through the darkness outside.

Both twin Jades were up and out of the Hanshi within moments, tearing through the night at a speed rarely seen in the cloud recesses.

The guest disciple dormitories were flaring to life, excited shouting and running making them sound like a disturbed beehive.

A flash of blinding light, shielded by a building and completely invisible from the inside of the dormitories, but in perfect view for someone outside, and both Lan's veered off to the side and into the thick growth just ahead of it.

Neither of them could muster much surprise when they heard Wei Wuxian's voice.

"You did it! How did it go?"

The twin Jades stalked closer, careful not to rustle any leaves or step on twigs.

When Lan Xichen came close enough to see, he froze.

There was another figure standing next to the Junmeng Jiang disciple.

Lan Wangji's eyes narrowed.

There was a woman standing next to the Junmeng Jiang disciple.

The excitement just on the other side was steadily rising, but without any underlying panic or urgency.

For a moment, Lan Wangji felt as if it was filling his head with noise, blocking out all other sensations.
The sword hilt in his hand creaked.

There was a woman looking at Wei Wuxian in the dead of night, while someone had thrown a distraction into the middle of the guest disciples.
The woman was clad all in white, and while ghostly pale in appearance, was undeniably beautiful, in a sharp, dangerous way.
This could not be tolerated.

And then, almost as soon as the tension had mounted to unbearable heights, it burst when the woman spoke.

"Fuck, that took it all out of me. You are going to be taking notes in class tomorrow, and I am going to sleep."

Next to him, Lan Xichen froze.

Jiang Wanyin tore off the outer layer of his white (women's!) clothing, revealing the guest disciple robes underneath.
Afterwards, he quickly reached up to his hair and pulled out the four hairpins that had held it up in a distinctly female fashion.

Lan Xichen gave a tiny squeak, and something deeply satisfied settled inside Lan Wangji's chest.

"Come on, Jiang Cheng! Tell me! Did he squeal?! Did he wet himself? Did the teleportation array give you any trouble?"

Jiang Wanyin rolled his eyes, and started wiping at the powder on his face with a wet rag.

"Yes, as you damn well know, how should I know, and no. You were right, the short distance made it pretty easy. Wiped me out, though. Am I clean?"

Lan Xichen whispered incredulously: "Teleportation... Array?"

Finally, finally his brother understood. The warm glow in Lan Wangji's stomach spread, and when it reached his face, he graced his elder brother with a benign smile.

Lan Xichen's eyes widened in alarm.

"Jiang Wanyin looked quite fetching in women's clothing, did he not, Xiongzhang?"

"Oh, no. Nonononono."

But Lan Wangji had been teased mercilessly for months now. There would be no holding back.

"And to be able to utilize such an advanced technique at such a young age is quite impressive."

"Wangji, don't do it. Please."

For a moment, Lan Wangji considered letting the matter go. Just not particularly hard.
He decided against it, and instead went in for the kill.

"A very young age. Xiongzhang, Wangji implores you to wait until Jiang Wanyin is older to make your intent clear."

"There is no intent!"

Lan Wangji nodded serenely.

"Of course, Xiongzhang."

Lan Xichen hissed.

But then they were distracted by the two disciples they were spying on quickly throwing the thin women's robe through the window of the Junmeng Jiang's dorm room, ramming the hairpins into the ground, and joining the group of agitated students.

They exchanged a look, and made their own appearance moments after.

The gathered crowds stilled at their arrival, and the Jin disciple shouldered his way through to them.

"You! What exactly has the Lan sect been doing that there are ghosts bothering good people in the middle of the night?! Are your heads so stuck up in the clouds that you can't even keep your own clan compound clean?!"

Lan Wangji stiffened in offense, and he could see his brother's smile turn sharp out of the corner of his eye.

But before he could say anything, there was a commotion.

Wei Wuxian stepped forward, fury in his eyes and dragging Jiang Wanyin, who was unsuccessfully trying to stop him.

"How dare you talk like that to Lan Zhan! And Zewu Jun. If you saw a ghost, it was probably just your imagination. Aren't you too bold to go accusing the Lan sect like this?!"

Jiang Wanyin made another valiant effort to tug his martial brother back into the crowd.

"Wei Wuxian! Will you shut up!"

The Lan brothers looked at each other incredulously.

Such an outburst was bound to backfire.

And sure enough, the Jin turned to the Jiang disciples with wild eyes.

"You! This is all your fault! It has to be! You worthless servant! Is it not enough of an insult that you show yourself here at all?! You have to go and constantly bother respectable people!"

Lan Wangji stiffened, his posture turning even more rigid than before. How dare this untalented lout speak to Wei Ying like this!

But before he could put him in his place, Lan Xichen spoke up.

"What exactly are you accusing young master Wei of? I expect something more serious than simply loitering outside your rooms after curfew?"

The smile he gave the assembled crowd was sharp, and more than a few guest disciples blanched at the reminder that they were breaking a rule right now. Some started to discreeetly shuffle back into the direction of their rooms.

"You heard the nonsense he was spewing in class! Who says he hasn't tried it out! He must be the one who has summoned a ghost into my room! It might have killed me had I been any less skilled!"

Lan Xichen tilted his head in confusion.

"A ghost. In your room."

"Yes!! A young female, not bad looking, it vanished into thin air before I could get a better look!"

The pieces finally falling into place, the twin jades shared an incredulous look.

Lan Xichen cleared his throat.

"Hrm. Ah, he- That is- mfff..."

Lan Wangji gave his brother a look. This only seemed to make it even harder for him to keep in the laughter.

Lan Wangji took it upon himself to glare at the Jin disciple with great displeasure.

"There are no ghosts in Cloud Recesses."

"I saw it with my own eyes! Look through his rooms! I am sure there will be evidence of heretical practices!"

Displeased with that option, but unwilling to cover up yet another crime, Lan Wangji nodded.

"That is satisfactory."

He could see Wei Wuxian pale from the corner of his eyes, and a strange, unfamiliar feeling settled in his throat. But he continued on, back ramrod straight, until they reached the rooms and threw the doors open.

"Baa?"

A goat was tied to a post in the middle of the room, and it was chewing lazily.

There was not a single scrap of white fabric left where the dress had been thrown earlier.
Lan Xichen turned towards the Jin with a benign smile.
“A young, attractive female, you said?”

In the middle of the onlooking crowd, several disciples snorted or caughed.
The Jin looked around in confusion, and after a while blanched in realization.
“That's not what I meant! I said ghost! Not goat! Shut up, or I'll-”
Lan Wangji allowed himself a small moment of relief, and returned his thunderous expression to the Jin.

"There are NO ghosts in the Cloud Recesses."

Chapter Text

After the last very risky endeavors, Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian mutually agreed to lay low and simply enjoy the fruits of their labor. 

Wei Wuxian's distraction and the Jin disciple's insistence on committing to falsely claiming the report he had not written, had the unexpected side effect that Lan Qiren had found a new victim for the bulk of his ire.

Apparently, while it seemed talk of heretical cultivation practices was still at the top of the list of things he condemned, academic fraud came in as a close second.

He still received glares and huffs for every answer he gave, but they lacked the vindictive satisfaction the Jin had to deal with whenever he could not answer any of the increasingly complicated questions the Grandmaster threw at him.

Day after day, they had to do nothing but relax and look on as Lan Qiren thoroughly humiliated the increasingly frazzled looking Jin.

The two Yunmeng disciples did try to avoid the whole delegation from Jinlintai whenever possible out of class. The accusations after the ghost incident had hit dangerously close to the truth, and even unfounded could become a real threat to Wei Wuxian's reputation if they were allowed to grow.

The much increased frequency of the Twin Jades loitering gracefully wherever they went had certainly been a contributing factor too. There was simply no way to keep Wei Wuxian on track when Lan Wangji was in his field of vision.

Jiang Wanyin had complained bitterly that now not only Lan Wangji, but also ZewuJun seemed to have grown so suspicious of them that he was watching them personally.

Wei Wuxian had of course simply laughed at him and told him that this was not necessarily a bad thing if Lan Xichen was even half as much fun to tease as Lan Wangji. 

And so the last weeks of the guest disciples' time in Cloud Recesses went by far more peacefully than it might have otherwise.

They had even almost forgotten their grievances until the final bit of the mischief they had prepared reared its head on the day of their departure.

A commotion up ahead, just outside the markets of Caiyi, caused broad grins to appear on their faces.

Jiang Wanyin chuckled when they finally heard the Jin's enraged voice echoing through the streets.

He turned to Wei Wuxian, and asked thoughtfully. 

"What did you even do to his travel documents and identification?"

The shouting up ahead was taking a distinctly hysterical note.

Wei Wuxian eyed the scene with smug satisfaction.

"Fed them to the goat. Obviously."

"Huh."

Jiang Wanyin tilted his head, and together they turned to watch the spectacle from a safe distance.

xxx

"Who stole them!? Show yourself! I know you are there! Do you even know who I am?! I will end you!"

The Jin was looking around maniacally, turning in place and shouting his anger at anyone who came close.

The people of Caiyi were giving him a wide berth, and interested whispers were coming from those who deemed themselves out of range should the situation devolve into violence.

The Lan were not prone to outrageous behavior, and the people in Caiyi were gentle and soft spoken by nature. But humans were alike all over the world, and a good scandal sparked the interest of any community.

"I know this is not just bad luck! This is a conspiracy to make me lose face!"

After this, the Jin suddenly drew his sword, and with a mad glint in his eyes started waving it around. Suddenly, the situation was not particularly entertaining anymore.

A woman screamed, and the crowd started to disperse. But then the eyes of two bystanders fell on the insignia of one of the great cultivation clans, and they quickly pushed the young man into the rapidly clearing circle.

"Please save us, gongzi! He has gone mad!"

And with only a squeaked "What?!", Nie Huaisang was suddenly face to face with the enraged cultivator.

He quickly took a step back, eyes frantically shifting from side to side in hopes of finding an escape.

When a growl sounded right in front of him, he fluttered his fan nervously and asked:

"Ah- Young master Jin? Is there anything-"

But before he could get any further, spittle flew in his direction.

"And what do you think you are doing, looking at me like that?! You useless excuse for a cultivator have no right to do so much as sweep the street I walk on!"

Nie Huaisang swiftly raised his fan further to shield himself from the spittle attack and chuckled nervously. 

"Oh, I am not sure I would know anything about that, but if my help is not needed, I will simply-"

But the Jin simply roared, and ripped the fan out of his hand with a snarl. 

A deafening crack rang through the street, and the fan was broken in half.

Silence, and then a clatter as the pieces fell onto the ground.

Nie Huaisang had turned white as a sheet.

He straightened his back, and his mouth turned into a pinched line.

The Jin cultivator's eyes widened at the suddenly murderous expression, and took a step backward.

But before he could even properly register the danger he was in, the tiny Nie lifted a beautifully embroidered qianqun pouch, pulled out a saber almost as tall as himself, and clobbered the Jin over the head with it.  

He dropped to the ground unconscious, and Nie Huaisang stuffed the saber back into his pouch with an offended huff. He rummaged through his sleeves for a moment, drew out another fan, snapped it open, and swept off.

The Yunmeng disciples were staring at their friend wide eyed, and quickly ducked behind the houses next to the treeline to hide themselves.

"Did he really just?!"

Wei Wuxian shook his head in disbelief. 

"He really just got knocked out by Nie Huaisang! And in the middle of a crowd! In broad daylight! This is most certainly harsher punishment than even this little piece of work deserved!"

"It is not."

Wei Wuxian had to blink at the harsh tone in his foster brother's voice. Jiang Wanyin certainly never sounded gentle, but there was definitely an additional bite to it today.

"What exactly set you off like this anyway? I mean, he had it coming, obviously, but usually you try a lot harder to reign me in. Was it really just because he called me a servant?"

Jiang Wanyin shifted uncomfortably. 

"You are not. Not in the way it matters. But people talk. And talk. And if you just let them get away with it, they start convincing even themselves. And at some point, it doesn't matter what the actual truth is, because enough people believe in the lie.

You are my brother, not my servant. That is the truth, and I refuse to let some worthless fraud of a cultivator get a say in that."

He turned towards the road home then, and Wei Wuxian had to swallow around the thick clump of emotions in his throat.

"Ah, Jiang Cheng..."

Jiang Wanyin flashed him a quick smile, and then wrinkled his nose.

"What are you looking at?! Do you think I would tolerate your kind of behavior in a servant?! Ridiculous! I would have drowned them in the river years ago!"

Wei Wuxian slung an arm around his shoulders and grinned brightly.

"Aha! But you did try to drown me! Several times! Once even three times in a single day!"

"You deserved it, you ass."

"Why, I never! Is that the way you talk to your elder brother?"

"By a week! That does not even count! We would be twins, if anything!"

Jiang Wanyin scrunched up his face in disgust as soon as the words left his mouth, but the damage had been done.

"I like that! Gusu Lan may be home to the twin Jades, but soon the whole cultivation world will know that the only match they have are the twin Prides of Yunmeng!"

A sharp elbow found its way into Wei Wuxian's side and he winced.

"Hey!"

"Don't go around talking nonsense! Such a reputation has to be earned! You will have to work hard to keep up with me!"

"Oh, yeah? Since when?! I could beat you in my sleep!"

"Hah! Dream on!"

And with that, their echoing banter slowly faded as they followed the road home.

xxx

Lan Wangji was torn between his curiosity and the mantra of rules running through his head most decidedly forbidding eavesdropping of any kind.

The inner turmoil left him to stiffly clutch his own hands behind his back and gaze longingly through the thicket where the two troublemakers were just visible.

Lan Xichen had no such trouble.

Hand pressed over his grinning mouth to stifle any errant giggles, he had inched forward to the very edge to where he would certainly be noticed, and was listening intently. 

With a burst of familiar fondness, Lan Wangji quickly sent a prayer to whichever god had blessed him with such a gracious and understanding elder brother, when Lan Xichen immediately started a whispered narration of what he could glean from the conversation.

"They are... surprised over A-Sang's fit of temper, cannot blame them. I still cannot decide whether Minjue-xiong will be proud that he actually willingly drew his saber, or appalled that he used it as a blunt instrument.

Ah, now this is sweet. Are you sure you do not wish to join me, Wangji? They are expressing affection towards each other."

This time, Lan Wangji was strangely much less conflicted. If Wei Ying was showing affection, it would be much better directed at someone... not Jiang Wanyin, in his opinion.

Temptation immediately returned however, when his elder brother straightened and leaned forward with a spark in his eyes.

"Oh! They are talking about us now! Wei Wuxian just said that soon the whole cultivation world would know that the only match for the Twin Jades of Gusu would be.. "

Then he reared back in shock.

Finally unable to stand it any longer, Lan Wangji rushed past his flabbergasted and quickly reddening brother, but it seemed to be too late. The conversation was over, and they were slowly walking away from them and into the town.

"Xiongzhang! What did he say?!"

But Lan Xichen had buried his heated face in his hands and only managed a confused whimper. Lan Wangji hissed in frustration. 

"Xiongzhang!"

Without freeing his face, his brother shook himself violently, and then whispered tentatively. 

"Why would they call themselves the twin brides of Yunmeng?"  

xxx

"Hey, Jiang Cheng. What was the little rat's name anyway?"

His foster brother furrowed his brows, and shrugged.

"Fuck if I know."

The end! :)