Chapter Text
"Lan Wangji said he'd meet the Yiling Laozu himself."
That's what Lan Xichen had told the elders, his brother's courage was praised high and low throughout Gusu, afterall, it wasn't everyday a cultivator offers himself willingly to go and negotiate with a resident demonic cultivator.
His A-Zhan was brave, he was righteous and strong, he opposed the evil anytime he could, however, seeing his brother all jittery and exited was odd for him, was he not going to the burial mounds to hopefully talk the Yiling Laozu out of the heretic path? Whatever might be the reason for his happiness, he hoped it would last, it was a rare sight to see his brother this happy.
—
Lan Wangji felt like someone poured alcohol into his veins and lit it on fire, in a good way ofcourse, he was going to meet his Wei Ying after such a long time afterall, it had been a mess when he tried to bring him back last time, the stress of war and everything took a toll on both of them, causing a rather unsavory atmosphere, this time he hoped they could talk more calmly, he hoped he could atleast tell him how he feels, and that he didn't want to punish him.
He sat infront of his mirror and brushed his hair, lamenting the fact that he didn't own many ornaments or adornments, he always believed that it was better suited for a cultivator to be in clothing that was simple and comfortable, he didn't focus on his appearance, if was fine as long as he was presentable and upto his clan's standards. But today, he realised how he had misjudged himself, he rummaged through his drawers, wishing something would magically appear out of it, but it wasn't like he was in a fantasy world where wishes were granted by genies.
He looked at himself in the mirror and made a mental note, he needed hair pins, earings, a simple necklace and a handkerchief, he could try to give it to his Wei Ying discreetly. His skin was fair and beautiful, like the moon's faint glow reflected by the lakewaters of Yunmeng, his eyelashes were long and brows soft, his lips had a light pink tint, he decided he could try a thin eyeliner, not that he had it though. He looked around, he saw the caligraphy brush and ink sitting on his table, the ink glimmering slightly under the light, still wet, he settled on that, people do stupid things when they're in love afterall.
The drew the eyeliner, his first attempt ending up as a total disaster, he had tried to use the caligraphy brush draw it, realising how stupid that had been, he washed his face and retries with his finger nail, thankful he hadn't filed them down. His eyes looked sharper, longer and brighter, the black eyeliner contrasting against his golden eyes and fair skin. He was almost perfect, almost.
He touched his hair, "too plain" he thought, he wanted to look perfect, he could use some things fringes, as he contemplated how to cut it, he remembered he didn't have any scissors, he never really needed them, perhaps his brother would have a pair? He hoped he did.
—
Lan Xichen was woken by the sound of knocks on his door, who might it be at this time? It was an hour past the bed time, he opened the gate anyways, no one was foolish enough to disturb the clan leader for unimportant reasons anyways.
The sight that greeted him almost made him think that he was dreaming, his brother, a sucker for rules, was at his door, dressed in his sleeping robes, his hair down, his forehead bare and...was that makeup on his eyes?
"Wangji?" He asked, confused.
"Gege" Lan Wangji had to take a break, realisation dawning upon him, he woke his brother up for scissors?
"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned, was he having second thoughts about his meeting with the Laozu?
"Do you-do you have scissors?" His ears turned red and realised how incredibly interesting his brother's doorstep was.
"What?" If he wasn't already confused enough, he was now, but he was always weak when I came to his little brother, he let him in, turning on the lamps "I do, but...may I ask why you need them?"
"I- want to change my hair" he was staring at the floor as if it were his berothred, not having the courage to look into his brother's eyes
"Change? How so?"
"Would fringes look good?" He finally looked up, waiting for a reply
"Ofcourse, i could cut them for you if you want" he was an incredibly weak man, he could never resist when his brother looked at him with those eyes
"You would?"
"Ofcourse"
.
They looked beautiful, his brother had given him light fringes that reached a little past his eyebrows and light side fringes that framed his face, not too much, just enough to slim his face slightly, making him seem more elegant and feminine.
"Do you like them?" Lan Xichen asked, his brother would look good in anything, but he wanted to give him the best he could.
"I do" his brother played with the short hair, fluffing it up lightly
"A-zhan, do you like Wei Gonzi?" He asked, trying to seem as gentle as he could, trying not to make him feel as if his feelings were unnecessary, unwelcomed or unsightly.
Lan Wangji's eyes widened as he whipped around "Gege?" He could never hide anything from his brother, so he just looked down again
Lan Xichen did not need to ask again, Lan Zhan's silence was enough of an answer.
—
Wangji bit his teeth, snuggled up in his soft sheets, his brother knew, was he that obvious? He'll keep it in his mind to not be so obvious in front of Wei Ying, but it'll be fine, Wei Ying was an idiot anyways, he still thought he liked Mianmian.
Wangji woke up jittery the next day, he slept late last night, but still woke up early, earlier than usual that it. He took a warm bath with scented oils, he scrunched his hair till he had soft waves, he skipped oiling his hair, it'd add a welcomed amount of volume, he did his makeup like he had planned, soft eyeliner, his fringes were styled then.
He looked at his reflection, satisfied with his work, his clothes would be the usual, he could not alter his uniform afterall, so he tied his sash tighter, accentuating his already slim waist even more, he tied his hair in a simple braid, weaving the end of his ribbon in. He fluffed his braid out a little, making it seems effortless. He shaped his nails slightly, keeping them long but pretty, he packed a spare perfume just in case.
He stepped out of the jingshi, making his way towards his uncle's room.
—
If Wei Wuxian doesn't kill him, then Lan Wangji will, Lan Qiren thought as he stared at his nephew, his sweet little nephew who had always followed every rule in the book, never questioning them, but now he was standing on his doorstep with eyes lines with makeup, long nails and his ribbon braided into his hair. One must not message with their forehead ribbon!
But he supposed he could let it slide, it wasn't often he got to see this nephew enjoying his life, he let him in.
"You will be going to the burial mounds today?" Lan Qiren asked
"Yes, shufu" Wangji replied as he poured some tea for both of them.
"You can chose not to, we will handle it" he was worried, who knows what that boy had in his mind?
"It's alright uncle, I...wish to go" Lan Wangji confessed, his ears turning pink
Lan Qiren raised his eyebrow "you have changed your hairstyle?"
"Just...trying something new"
—
Lan wangji sets out for hi journey towards Yiling, he has to cross Yunmeng on the way, since he's flying he'll reach in less than a day and so he makes a stop there, Wei Ying said there are alot of pretty girls in Yunmeng, so there must also be adornments.
He approaches a stall owner, an elder woman who smiles at him as she recommends jwellery, Lan Wangji takes a pair of silver earrings shaped like teardrops, dangling like the rain, he pairs it up with a small lotus shaped pendent. He turns to leave but as he does, the lady calls him back—
"Gongzi! Take this for your wife!" The lady is holding a pack of rouge.
"You have a wife?" Asks someone in bright yellow clothes, he recognises her as Luo Qingyan, the one that had given Wei Ying the perfume sachet, he quickly hides it. Luo Qingyan however, is looking at him like she has seen a bear doing a summersault on a surfboard, honestly, that is much closer to be reality than Lan Wangji being straight.
He replies by shaking his head in a "no", he's scared of women, thank you very much.
But Mianmian doesn't seem to be scared of men, she immediately notices the jwellery in his hand and asks curiously
"Where are you going?"
Lying is forbidden, lan wangji had never wanted to lie this bad in his entire life.
"To Yilling" to which he's rewarded a teasing smile, he wants to jump into the lake.
"Give me a pack" she acquires the rouge and pulls him to somewhere, which he guesses is the room allotted to her.
"I came here for the marriage negotiation between the Jiang and the Jin, never thought I'd end up helping with the Jiang and Lan too!" She teased
"Shameless" he didn't know what to say, it was like his love for Wei Ying was tattooed on his forehead, first his brother and now her. Lan wangji thinks internally "FAHH"
Mianmian sits him down infront of the mirror, a putting the earrings in and adjusting his necklace, she applies a small amount of rogue on his cheeks, giving them on a faint rosy tint, the his lips are colored, he looks an omega in heat, don't ask why he knows that but he does.
Departure from Yunmeng was a relief, women are scary and he didn't want to talk to Jiang Wanyin, he wasn't really the fondest. He plucked and packed a few lotus pods— for Wei Ying. He is stopped by light tugging as he tries to enter the burial mounds.he looks down to find a child, a child who is....on the verge of crying, he's fucked.