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The request for help was a simple one, a water ghoul had killed people in a nearby town, however, what made the case interesting was the way the ghoul lured its prey in. According to one of the only people who survived, the ghoul would show its target the thing they desired most. One of the women in the village he had talked to said that she saw a woman who was recently widowed talking with her deceased husband in the water.
Lan Wangji was sent out to deal with the issue, likely his brother’s doing, believing that some time out of the sect would do some good for him. The grief from Wei Ying’s death still overtook him sometimes. There were days where he could hardly find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning, let alone deal with sect duties. Being outside of the sect can help Wangji sometimes, but others like now, everything he saw reminding him of Wei Ying, a boy running past with a red ribbon in his hair, a woman teasing and laughing with her friends loudly the same way he did, a man flirting with one of vendors, all of it reminded him of Wei Ying.
But now Lan Wangji had to complete the mission he was here for and to stop thinking of Wei Ying. (He can’t, the guilt sits heavy in his chest, he misses him so much.)
After securing a boat for his plan, he waits in the town until it's dark and the streets are clear. The moon shines brightly, illuminating the world around Lan Wangji with its light. The water is still when Lan Wangji’s boat begins moving, causing ripples throughout. He has to wait for the creature to show up, so he organises himself while waiting, keeping his sword carefully hidden but easy to grab, and ties one of his ankles to the boat, he is a strong man, but he knows what’s going to happen when he sees the creature, sees what he desires most, and he’s not sure he’s strong enough to resist that temptation. (A part of him wants to jump in now, to join Wei Ying, wherever his soul is now, another part reminds him of his brother, his uncle, A-Yuan waiting for him to return)
Finally, there is a sign of the creature, he can hear the faint splashes of the water as the creature seems to analyse him, before finally appearing, with silver eyes and hair tied in a high ponytail with a red ribbon, he opens his mouth and Lan Zhan hears the voice he has missed for so long.
“Lan Zhan! Fancy seeing you here! Come and join me in the water! Didn’t you miss me?”
Lan Zhan feels a small, bittersweet smile on lips, it is Wei Ying’s voice, but it will never be him. He will never hear him again.
Lan Zhan knows he should kill the creature now, to end this here and return home, but just this once, he allows himself to be selfish. He plays along.
“Wei Ying, you know how much I hate swimming, the water always scares me. And I missed you more than you’ll ever know.” He huffs as he leans against the railing of the boat, teenage him would say his posture was incorrect and shameless, but he worries that if he doesn’t lean against the railing, his legs will give out, he will give in, he will jump in the water and let it consume him.
Wei Ying The fake Wei Ying’s eyes widen slightly at his words, not expecting them, before his face smooths back into his sun bright smile. He laughs. “Don’t worry Lan Zhan! There’s nothing to fear when you have me, let your Wei Ying keep you safe!”
Lan Zhan can feel the sting in his eyes, Wei Ying was never his, and never would be, he couldn’t protect him, couldn’t stand up for what was right, and now his punishment is to live with the knowledge he could’ve, should’ve, done something.
“Wei Ying, you know I’m too shy and terrified to join you.”
“Come on, Lan Zhan! You should join me and our daughter. You don’t have to worry, I’ll take all the suffering from you, all you need to do is jump in the water!” As the man speaks, he turns, and pulls an illusion of A-Yuan out of the water for a moment before shoving him back under. As he turns to face Lan Wangji again, he notices the slight changes in the creature’s form, his hair suddenly in the half up half down hairstyle and his face resembling Wei Ying’s after the war, likely changing to fit whatever memory he had used from Lan Wangji’s mind to know of A-Yuan’s existence.
But clearly whatever memory the creature used hadn’t been clear, given that he referred to A-Yuan as his and Wei Ying’s daughter. Lan Wangji quickly shoves the idea of raising children with Wei Ying away, it's only going to hurt him more.
“Actually, may I ask Wei Ying a question?”
The creature perks up, likely figuring it could use this to lure him in. “Of course! You know I’d do anything for you.”
Then why wouldn’t you let me help you. A small traitorous part of his mind whispers, Lan Zhan ignores it.
“If I were trying to call on a.. Particular soul,but the soul had shattered and inquiry wouldn’t work, would there be a way to bring them back?”
“Hmm..” The Wei Wing in the water is deep in thought. “Well, if the soul is completely shattered, I don't know if there’s any way you could bring them back that didn’t involve some demonic ritual or something. But I can’t think of any way to bring back a shattered soul like that, sorry Lan Zhan.”
Lan Wangji feels his shoulders slump, no matter how hard he tries, no one seems to know how he could bring Wei Ying back, the worst part is, he doesn’t even know if he could bring himself to revive Wei Ying if he had the chance, Wei Ying had suffered enough already, the entire world against him because he did what was right, if he was brought back, would he be killed again? Lan Wangji can’t bring himself to think about it.
“Now that I’ve answered your question, will you finally join me in the water, Lan Zhan?” The voice pulls him out of his thoughts, he knows what he has to do now, he has to kill the creature, he must look this Wei Ying in the eye and plunge his sword into its neck.
“Alright,” he sighs “Will you come help me into the water? I hate getting in.”
The Wei Ying swims over at a speed that a normal person couldn’t in the water, the creatures slips up in its eagerness to drag him in, teeth sharpening and nails being just a bit too long, it hops onto the side of the boat and holds out a hand to Lan Wangji, to beckon him in, to beckon him to let go, to join him, and Lan Wangji wants to, but he can’t. He has people waiting for him, so in a movement too quick for the creature to retaliate, he unsheathes his sword and stabs it in the neck. The creature’s eyes widen in realization as it chokes on its own blood, which is slowly coating Lan Wangji’s sword.
Lan Wangji pulls his sword out, and the creature falls into the water, disappearing from sight as it sinks. The night is quiet, the cheerful voice and sunshine smile is gone again, back to a solemn silence and Lan Wangji grieves to hear him again a second time.
In the morning Lan Wangji will tell the villagers the issue has been dealt with, they will thank him and offer payment and he will refuse as always. He will return home and spend time with A-Yuan and the rabbits. Life will go on.
But as Lan Wangji stands in the middle of the lake, he cries. He cries for the man he believes he will never see again. He hums the tune of all the love he could never show through words. He stands there and he grieves the fact that with Wei Ying’s soul shattered, he will not be able to reincarnate, that there may be Lan Wangji that will live his whole life never being able to meet his Wei Ying.
He mourns.
“Hey, Lan Zhan?”
“Mn?”
“What was it like during those years I was dead?”
“... Desolate. Lonely.”
“Oh, Lan Zhan..” He feels arms wrap around him from behind.
“Wei Ying, I missed you more than you’ll ever know.”