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Wei Wuxian sat as straight as he could while Jiang Cheng ran a comb through his hair.
“Honestyly,” Wei Wuxian mused, “I’m surprised the Lans didn’t kick you out halfway through the Guo Da Li.”
Jiang Cheng scowled, “The fuck does that mean? I provided your dowry for you too because you’re broke as fuck without your Hanguang-jun.”
“Heheheh, I know. Thanks, ChengCheng.”
“Don’t fucking call me that!”
Wei Wuxian chuckled as he drummed his fingers on the box containing the Si Da Li. He was getting married soon, to his beloved Lan Zhan. They’d just finished the An Chuang and now was the time for Shu Tou. The whole lineup of traditions would’ve been carried out by parents, but seeing as they were both orphans, Jiang Cheng took it upon himself to reconcile with Wei Ying just to carry them out for him.
“Hold fucking still!” Jiang Cheng snapped.
“Jiang Cheng ah, Jiang Cheng, I thought you didn’t like cutsleeves? For my shidi to be doing this for me despite his disdain, truly I am touched!” Wei Wuxian tossed his hair back in a dramatic fashion, looking the very epitome of a maiden overcome with joy. Jiang Cheng was half-minded to throw the comb at Wei Wuxian’s face.
“I don’t like people, period. Cut-sleeves just happen to be part of people.”
“Mmhm, guess that is so.”
Their conversation faded back into a comfortable silence, the only sound was the comb running through Wei Wuxian’s hair. When he finally deemed Wei Wuxian’s hair neat enough to be able to properly carry out the ceremony, on then did Jiang Cheng begin reciting, “一梳梳到尾，(May your marriage last a lifetime) 二梳百年好合，(May you be blessed with a happy and harmonious marriage until old age) 三梳子孙满堂 (May you be blessed with an abundance of children and grandchildren), 四梳白发齐眉。(May you be blessed with longevity)”, a stroke in between each phrase.
The comb was placed down on the table as Jiang Cheng stepped back. His eyes carried something bittersweet within them. “Married, huh…” he mused quietly to himself.
First was his a-jie, now it was his shixiong. He still remembered the way a-jie had looked with her dress on, donned in red and gold, the epitome of joy. He’d been happy for her, of course, though a bit miffed that she was marrying that stupid peacock. The red fabric was splashed vividly across her person, yet never reaching up to her neck.
The next time he had seen his a-jie in red, the red had poured down from her neck as a silver sword was stuck through it.
And now it was his brother’s turn to be drenched in the red. The first time Jiang Cheng had truly seen red upon his brother, the sky was draped in green as animated corpses flew about. Screams had rung through the air, and his brother sauntered through the chaos, his eyes a brilliant, glowing red. The next time he would see his brother in red would be the next day, where he would be covered with wedding robes, red and gold entwined in delicate embrace. Happy, like he deserved to be.
And for once, Jiang Cheng thought that perhaps red wasn’t that horrible of a colour after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wei Ying didn’t know whether or not it was fear or excitement he was feeling. He was going to be a Lan, a real Lan! He still recalled those days in the Cloud Recesses where he’d complained about memorising the rules, copying them down as part of his punishment. “I’m not even a Lan anyway, what's the point??” He’d groan loudly, earning a smack on his cheek as Jiang Cheng pushed him away to keep reading his book.
He chuckled a bit at that memory. He was going to be a Lan now. Jiang Cheng draped the wedding veil over his head. “Don’t embarrass yourself out there.”
“Psshaww, when have I ever?”
“I made sure Jin Ling kept Fairy away today just for you, don’t scream and jump on your future husband before finishing the bows. It would be unbecoming of someone from the Jiang clan.”
Wei Ying made a sound of protest, but thanked Jiang Cheng anyway.
He pictured his future husband Lan Zhan in his red robes. He’d only ever seen Lan Zhan in white. Even since he first stepped foot into the cloud recesses, Lan Zhan had always been dressed in white with only a few blue accents to clarify that he was not in mourning. On their meeting in his second life though, when Wei Ying had entered Mo Xuanyu’s body, he remembered Lan Zhan had been dressed in full white, not a speck of blue to be seen, save for the subtle blue cloud motif on his headband. Lan Zhan really did look like someone in mourning back then.
Wei Ying still remembered how he looked, his strong hands grabbing Wei Ying’s forearm, eyes seeming misty with what looked like tears threatening to fall. After that, when Wei Ying had been dragged back to the Cloud Recesses, Lan Zhan had dressed in robes with blue in them again.
“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying muttered dreamily. His Lan Zhan, his future husband. He couldn’t wait.
~~~~~~~~~
Lan Zhan was going to be married, in about a shichen or so. And here he was, doing handstands. Lan Xichen had even got out of seclusion briefly just for this day.
“Wangji, are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yes.”
He was getting married to Wei Ying. His Wei Ying. He’d changed out of his white Lan robes, and dressed in a brilliant red and gold instead. The wedding veil lay folded on a chair. He could hear some musicians practicing the dizi outside. The dizi.
The first time Lan Zhan heard the dizi, it was in Wei Ying’s hands. His eyes were glowing red and his hair flew wildly about his sturdy muscular frame. The flute he’d held in his hands, Chen Qing, sang for him. High notes sounded out, commanding the corpses around him to attack Wen Chao. While others had admired Wei Yung’s strength though, Lan Zhan had felt nothing but anxiety and fear in that moment. Unorthodox cultivation would have put Wei Ying through the wringer the second revenge on the Wens was exacted. But more than that, Lan Zhan could see there was something broken inside Wei Ying. Wei Ying had changed, no matter how much he tried to hide it. He was different. More jumpy, more cautious, eyes wider. And Lan Zhan could feel a part of him breaking too, whenever he looked at Wei Ying in those changed eyes.
The second time he most strongly remembered hearing the dizi, he remembered more of what had happened after. Gasped breaths, a sturdy tree. Limbs that flailed about to no avail. A warmth on his lips. A taste caught by his tongue, savoured like a rare delicacy. A reluctant pulling away. And then guilt. A feeling of guilt so strong Lan Zhan felt like he was drowning. How could he? Wei Ying was blindfolded and none the wiser. How dare Lan Zhan? An ocean of the guilt he’d brewed within himself so strongly the next thing he saw were his bleeding knuckles and a felled tree.
The next time he’ll hear the dizi would be as he and Wei Ying were joined together as husbands. Wei Ying…
He turned that name over and over again in his mind, and got down from his handstand. “Wei Ying, I’ll get to see you soon,” he thought silently.
Unbeknownst to him, a tear of joy rolled slowly down his face.
~~~~~~~~
Wei Ying boarded the sedan, “No wayyy, this is so cool!”
Jin Ling scowled, “Shut up! You’re only using this because my jiujiu said it was a necessary sacrifice! I even had to put Fairy away just for today! She’s so sad now, so you’d better not mess anything up!”
Wei Ying smiled, “You sound just like Jiang Cheng.”
“Who else raised me?”
That smile on Wei Ying’s face froze. Jin Ling seemed to sober up a bit.
“My mom…did she look this happy too when she married my dad?”
Wei Ying patted the small space beside him on the sedan. Jin Ling jumped up and sat, squashed next to him.
“Your mom looked the happiest she’d ever been when she married that peaco- Jin Zixuan. Shijie looked so pleased, like she was blessed with something amazing.”
Wei Ying nudged Jin Ling. “I suppose she was, since she had you.”
Jin Ling looked up at Wei Ying’s gentle smile.
“Shut up, I’ll get jiujiu to break your legs,” he looked back down and grumbled. But the corners of his eyes were red and moist. For a second, he could have sworn he saw his mother's smile in Wei Ying’s.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Wei Wuxian kneeled in the hall of Lotus Pier in front of the memorial of Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian. He was going to Ying Qin soon. Saying a quick prayer, he then stood up. Jin Ling appeared at his side next to Jiang Cheng. “Let’s move out.” The procession was a somewhat simple one. Wei Wuxian boarded the sedan and was carried to the Cloud Recesses.
At the gate of the cloud recesses, Lan Sizhui was there to greet them with two mandarin oranges. Wei Wuxian reciprocated with a red packet. “Wei Qianbei, congratulations on your soon-to-be wedding!” Lan Jingyi ran up before him as he entered the cloud recesses. “Why, thank you, Jingyi,” Wei Wuxian preaned. Lan Jingyi’s face shifted to that of pure tomfuckery. “Let the gatecrashing commence!”
The games were fairly easy. Wei Wuxian suspected they already knew how dedicated he was to Lan Wangji, there was no need for a small ceremony to ostentatiously show that off. Not that he was complaining, though. Walking softly through the corridor to the Jingshi, Wei Wuxian was suddenly overcome by an impulse. Forgetting the rules of the Cloud Recesses, his footsteps thudded heavily as he rapidly approached Lan Wangji!s room. “Lan Zhan!” He burst into the room.
Lan Wangji looked up through his wedding veil. Wei Wuxian removed his own before reaching out to Lan Wangji. Flipping away the gauzy red fabric, he moved in gently and pressed his lips against Lan Wangji’s. A warm wetness covered his mouth as he leaned in to the act of affection. Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around Wei Wuxian’s waist, pressing their torsos flush against each other. When they pulled away, Wei Wuxian grinned stupidly as he looked at Lan Zhan. His Lan Zhan. They were almost married.
They stepped out of the Jingshi and entered the main area of the Cloud Recesses.
There, they proceeded with the three bows.
The first bow to the heavens and the earth. Wei Wuxian looked through his vision blurred by tears to catch sight of Lan Wangji’s soft, strong hands. Those hands which had supported him throughout life, the hands he’d slapped away and the hands he’d held onto like a lifeline. The hands that caught him, hugged him and cherished him.
The second bow was to the parents, or the elderly of their homes. Lan Wangji bowed with his eyes inclined towards Lan Qiren, but he did catch the way Wei Wuxian was holding back a laugh at the absolute state of the old scholar's face. He was clearly displeased at his top student being taken by Wei Wuxian, no less, but there really was nothing to be done about it.
The final bow was to each other. Wei Wuxian lifted his gaze from the ground for the third time, and locked eyes with Lan Wangji. What he saw nearly took his breath away. There, dancing on Lan Wangji’s face, was a full-fledged smile.
“Husband…”
“Mn. My husband.”