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He missed the calm sunsets on Lotus Pier, like those warm tones that ranged from the fiery reds to the palest pinks that painted the entire landscape with colors you could only see in your dreams. In the company of his martial brothers Jiang Cheng and Yanli, all dressed in violet tones. The colors that accompanied a peace that was long ago taken from Wei Wuxian.
That moment of tranquility before starting your exciting nights full of hunting.
Now nothing was the same, the sunset was seen in duller tones due to the pollution in the air, in addition to lowering the temperature and making him feel colder than he has felt since he lost his core, not to mention the screams caused by the spirits from the burial mounds were only beginning to increase.
-Wei Wuxian! Don't tell me that you are getting depressed here alone again, I have told you thousands of times that if you feel melancholy the worst thing you can do is isolate yourself from us, that only makes your problems worse and you know it. Besides, your “beautiful” war prize asks about your melancholy ass – Wen Qing had been looking for Wei Wuxian.
In reality she knew what he had gotten himself into since noon, she was just giving him a little space, but too much space only meant more opportunities for his mind and spirits to drag him into their personal hell.
-Aiya, Wen Qing I told you that he is not my war prize, considering that it would take away his position as a human being. Plus Lan Zhan has a name you know? - Wei Wuxian was not feeling in a playful mood lately considering that his priorities were elsewhere, like hunger or how to get more food (although those two, thanks to Lan Zhan, had been covered lately, but that wouldn't last forever) or how to not get carried away by the burial mounds.
-Well your Lan Zhan is worried about you, so you better hurry up and go comfort him, I already have enough trouble listening to you two pine for each other- Wen Qing finally left him alone as she left muttering about the unconsciousness of some people and how everyone had to suffer because of them.
Alright, it was time to start going down before dusk completely disappeared and left him in the dark. He didn't want to end up accidentally rolling down the side of the mountain (again), it was best to avoid giving Wen Qing an excuse to stab him with his fearsome needles.
-
As he turn the corner to see their small settlement, he can see Hanguang-Jun, it seems that Lan Zhan had not yet been able to convince A-Yuan that he was not going to magically disappear and that is why lately he was leading him by the hand to everywhere, but of course A-Yuan is still very small and must take his naps, so at this moment he was carrying him with a cloth tied to his back, just as he had seen some women carry their babies in the market.
He had already told him that it is not a good idea to pamper A-Yuan so much, but Lan Zhan put those sad eyes next to the little one and it was impossible for him to stop them, besides, what harm could it do to a young man like Hanguang-Jun to carry such a lightweight like A-Yuan's? The others also did not support his motion to prevent A-Yuan from walking around like a chick on Lan Zhan, at least this way A-Yuan stayed much cleaner and was learning good manners.
-
Lan Zhan had been thrown at their gates a few weeks ago, in a crude and bizarre attempt to appease the wrath of the evil Yiling patriarch.
At first he wore these filmy fabrics that left nothing to the imagination, full of oils and jewels that outlined his body, that was ultimately the kind of clothing that courtesans wore, in addition to chains that prevented Lan Zhan from using his spiritual energy.
It was a journey for Wei Ying to take him on top without invading Lan Zhan's privacy as well as avoiding the Wens, and then ordering Wen Ning to buy some clothes for Hanguang-Jun, with one of the jewels he was wearing.
He tried to question Lan Zhan about why he was there or who had put him in this humiliating situation, but those who had done that to him had made sure that Lan Zhan couldn't tell on them and placed a spell on him to prevent him from revealing relevant information. Trying to remove him seemed to harm Lan Zhan so he was still researching how to remove that restriction. Fortunately the chains were simple trinkets that Wen Ning was able to remove in an instant.
Once dressed in a decent manner, they discussed with the Wen how they would proceed with Lan Zhan, they reached a consensus that it would be best to let him live with them, and the moment A-Yuan saw Lan Zhan, he clung to him asking if he had brought any toys to play with like last time and if this time he would stay with A-Yuan for dinner.
Since then they have been inseparable to the delight of Granny Wen, who now saw her responsibilities reduced with Lan Zhan being A-Yuan's main responsible caregiver.
Lan Zhan looked honestly happy with his new lifestyle, those rustic cotton clothes of a slightly yellow tone, his hair tied in a high ponytail and that xihexi that Wei Ying forced him to buy, everything seemed to fit him perfectly.
He quickly adapted to life in the countryside, helping Wen Qing with beads, accompanying aunts to weave cloth, plowing the land with enviable ease, going to the market and subconsciously charming women and men alike into buying his radishes, not to mention that his many talents also included cooking more than decently, with a wide variety of radish-based dishes.
That great variety of talents had softened the harshness of living in the mounds, the Wens were more than happy to have someone so reliable and Wei Ying... Well he couldn't complain either, now he had someone he could talk to if he wanted to...
If I wanted to, he could work less and it was always welcome to see something so beautiful in the middle of this dead wasteland.
But it still felt wrong to deprive the world of the light of Hanguang-Jun, Lan Zhan himself deserved to be able to choose the life he wanted, freedom, a life close to his family and full of comforts, all things far from the burial mounds and away from Wei Ying.
He had tried to convince Lan Zhan that once he removed the spell they put on him he could return to his world, the world of cultivation. But every time he brought up the topic, Lan Zhan would give him an offended look, take A-Yuan's hand, and walk away.
-
Returning to the present, Lan Zhan had begun carrying buckets of water.
-Aiya, Lan Zhan you shouldn't be carrying so many things at the same time-
At that moment the second Jade turned around to look directly at Wei Ying and at that precise moment with the sunset in the background, the light giving an amber glow to the outline of his figure carrying A-Yuan on his back, his xihexi covering gently to both and a bucket in each hand. There under that beautiful sunset Wei Ying realized that his sunsets were not as bad as he thought a few moments ago, they were just as bright and warm as before, only now they had different tones.
-Come here Lan Zhan, let me help you at least with a bucket, after all a beauty like you shouldn't have so many difficulties- At that moment A-Yuan gently raised his head with a big yawn.
-Xian-gege, where have you been?- Lan Zhan gently untied him from his back to put him in Wei Ying's hands and continue carrying his buckets.
-Well little radish, your Xian-gege was looking for the best place to watch the sunset- A-Yuan was sucking his thumb so Wei Ying gently took it out of his mouth, while holding his small hand inside his.
-And you found it- he asked, a little sleepy from his recent nap.
-Yes, I found it- Wei Ying gently followed Lan Zhan's steps towards the kitchen.
-And how pretty it looked-
-Very pretty, even a little prettier than your Zhan-gege- Wei Ying couldn't take his eyes off Lan Zhan's soft profile, where he could notice the small blush on his ears.
-That's impossible, Xian-gege is very dummy, nothing can be prettier than Zhan-gege-
Wei Ying stopped for a moment to whisper in A-Yuan's ear -Here between you and me I also think that nothing can be prettier than Lan Zhan-
He made a short run to catch up with Lan Zhan who had already beaten them to the kitchen.
-Lan Zhan tell me what's for dinner today-
-Radishes- He said it with a soft look directed directly at Wei Ying.
-Of course, I don't even know why I bother to ask, right A-Yuan? If we are going to eat radishes every day, why not start with this big radish?- He shouted at him while tickling his tummy.
-Stooooop Xian-gege hahahahaha-
Lan Zhan also realized that his sunsets were so, so brilliant, that simply thinking that their cause is solely the product of a single sun was…
Inconceivable.