Chapter Text
The sound of his laugh pulled Lan Wangji in.
Lan Wangji hated noise. Noise was a distraction. Loud voices broke his focus during his late-night calligraphy sessions. When a servant accidentally dropped a vase, the sharp crack made his calm frown deepen. Even the steady tapping of his brother’s fingers on the table during meditation annoyed him enough to take a deeper breath.
In short, he hated noise.
Especially loud, chaotic noise.
Wei Wuxian was exactly that-the loudest, most boisterous disciple Lan Wangji had ever met. Everything Lan Wangji feared. Wei Wuxian’s laughter, in particular, grated on him. It was always so loud, echoing through the halls, impossible to ignore. Sometimes, it even sounded a little too bright, a little too sharp-like he was laughing for everyone else’s sake, not his own. Lan Wangji couldn’t help but think it was forced, a mask that only made the noise feel emptier.
So, naturally, he tried to stay away from him.
But then, he heard it.
Little did he realize, this moment would alter the course of his life forever.
Today, Lan Wangji was near the children’s quarters during their class time, a rare quiet moment. It was far from the main building where most of the guest disciples reside. He was about to sit on the swing behind the building when he heard a melodious sound. It was gentle, almost musical, and strangely soothing.
For a moment, Lan Wangji paused, uncertain. Who could possibly be here at this hour?
Curious, he quietly followed the sound.
There he saw Wei Wuxian, speaking softly with Lan Xiu-the quietest child in the clan. Lan Xiu looked up at Wei Wuxian with pure admiration, holding onto the loose sleeve of his robe like a lifeline.
“I didn’t know you liked this story,” Wei Wuxian said, his voice low and warm.
Lan Xiu smiled shyly. “You make it sound so exciting.”
Wei Wuxian chuckled, softer than Lan Wangji had ever heard. “Well, stories are better when someone listens.”
Lan Xiu giggled as Wei Wuxian playfully tapped his button nose.
Lan Wangji’s heart skipped a beat. Wei Wuxian’s voice was calm and gentle, and his laughter was light, like a delicate bell-nothing like the loud, forced laugh he’d come to expect.
The two were lost in their own little world.
Lan Wangji stood frozen, watching this unexpected side of Wei Wuxian. How could someone so loud be so gentle? How could a laugh that once felt hollow now sound so real?
That moment stayed with Lan Wangji forever.
Because right then, he realized: maybe he could learn to love the noise-if it was Wei Wuxian’s.
It was that gentle laugh that pulled him in.