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Chapter Text

Wei Ying nimbly tiptoes up the banyan tree, loving the earthy rich smell emanating from its dry bark, a texture unlike the other trees. It is the perfect place to hide in the game of hide and seek, and none of the younger disciples will think about him being here. The added height allows him to watch over his shidis and shimeis, making sure everyone is safe. Contrary to Yu-Furen's opinion that this is a waste of time and why-isn't-everyone-sweating-like-a-pig-on-the-training-ground-performing-sword-drills-because-that-is-the-only-way-to-train, hide and seek made the disciples sharper, honing their night hunting skills and preparing them for the unexpected.

By now, Wei Ying was known for his unconventional training methods and since the Yunmeng Jiang disciples have been bringing back trophies at an alarming rate when they compete against the other Clans, he knows that Yu-Furen might voice her objections but she's not serious about them since it's clearly working.

By now, Wei Ying has spent more time in Yunmeng than he spent in the first decade of his life on the streets of Yiling, and he can't even remember what his parents look like now. Sometimes, when he's waiting to catch fish, he'll see his own reflection and there'll be a flash of recognition, remembering. But it's gone so fast, he often wonders if he imagined it.

Here, in Yunmeng, living with the Jiangs means he's not allowed to mention his Mama and Baba, so maybe it's for the best that he's forgotten their faces. But he can never forget how warm they felt to him, comforting and safe.

He laughs under his breath as the eight year old disciple takes a flying jump into the bushes, startling the twins who were hiding under it. It's a lovely warm day and the afternoon sun dapples through the fluttering verdant leaves, harmonious and gentle. It's naturally relaxing and Wei Ying quietly shifts backwards, lifting his legs so that he's completely hidden from below, resting his back against the solid thick trunk. Aside from the few birds calling out to one another, silence descends upon the woods. It's easy to close his eyes and sharpen his hearing, listening out for the action below.

But then, thwack, thwack, thwack, a noise from above and Wei Ying’s eyes snap open, instinctively holding out his hands and not a moment too soon! Something white and red, slightly warm and coiling falls into his cupped palms, and Wei Ying lets out a gasp because whatever it is, it's bleeding. He peers at it on high alert, wondering where it might have fallen from, when the screech of an eagle from the skies above answers his unspoken question. 

This poor little noodle is barely alive and if Wei Ying doesn’t do something soon, it's going to die. As Wei Ying lifts it up closer to his face, one golden eye opens and stares back at him warily. There's something defeated in his gaze, as though he's resigned himself to his fate, whatever that may be.

“Little Noodle, how are you in this terrible state?” Wei Ying whispers, feeling horrible about his injuries. His beautiful white scales, shimmering with iridescent mother-of-pearl blue and white, are stained pink and red, still bleeding. The puncture points resemble the places where sharp talons might have gripped his skinny body. 

Wei Ying’s eyes fill with tears, letting them drop on his tiny, too-still body. “Please don't die,” he whispers, throat thick and unable to swallow. “Let me at least take you home. I can bandage you up and keep you warm,” he adds, channeling his spiritual energy to create more heat in his hands. Whatever he knows about lizards, because that's what this little fellow looks like, has been learned from watching others like him sunning themselves on hot rocks, soaking up the heat. “I don't know how to catch insects, but I'll do my best.”

The Little Noodle hisses at that, and Wei Ying can't help laughing. He looks so pissed off, as if being injured is beneath him. Already his wounds are closing, which is a good sign. Now all he will need is a bath and some food and rest, and he'll be as good as new. Wei Ying tucks him into his robes, as close to his skin as possible to keep him warm.

“Sorry, I'll try not to jostle you, okay? But I need both of my hands to get down. If I could fly, this would be so much easier.” It's time to cut this game short and bring everyone back to Lotus Pier. 

Wei Ying slowly lowers himself down, using one branch at a time until he lands on the soft ground, moist with the earlier rains. Luckily, only a few more disciples are still hiding with the majority of them joining the seeker. Wei Ying praises them and invites them to a race, watching them speed off. “The winner gets to choose dessert,” he calls out, smiling at their enthusiasm. 

He sets out with a fast pace, keeping the younger ones company because their little legs can't run as fast, and then two of the babies decide to hold his hands so they walk back a bit slower than the rest. Wei Ying tells them all to bathe in the river before dinner and in the meantime, he will go and buy their chosen treats, because the winning disciple chose tanghulu. All the while, he keeps an eye on his new friend, who seems to have fallen asleep next to his heart.

The stall owner pulls out a reed basket and lines it with waxed paper so the sugary treats won't stick to the bottom, and hands it over to Wei Ying. He hopes the children will be just starting their dinner when he goes back, because he needs to check on the Little Noodle first.

Once he reaches the sanctuary of his room, located far away from the main family residence, he quickly hunts for his softest undergarments, newly washed and smelling of lotus flowers, arranging them on his bed in a kind of a nest. 

“I'm so sorry, I can't imagine the day you've had,” he croons to the little beast, gently removing it from his robes. He tries to put him down but the thing is quite reluctant, hissing while wrapping its tail around Wei Ying’s wrist. Tightly. 

“Aww, little guy, don't you wanna stretch? Does it still hurt?” Wei Ying isn't expecting an answer, he's just chatting like he normally does, so he's surprised when the Noodle lifts his head and nods. “Wait a minute! Can you understand me?” 

The Noodle nods but not before sort of rolling his eyes. Those lovely golden eyes look annoyed.

“You're an angry little fella, aren't you?” Wei Ying giggles. “But I need to check your injuries. Just in case you need more help.”

If anything, the Noodle’s grip tightens even more. Wei Ying strokes a finger from the top of his little body down to his tail, marvelling at the unconscious shiver that goes through him, his tiny face going slack with pleasure. “Oh, you like that!” Wei Ying says, delighted.

The Noodle actually glares back at him, making him laugh. He does it again and again, until the Noodle falls asleep, so Wei Ying heats up the nest with one spiritually charged finger and then gently extricates him from his wrist, placing him on the soft bedding as gently as he can. He then wraps the warm clothes over his body, smiling when the Noodle snuggles further into the comfort. 

“I'll go fetch us some dinner,” Wei Ying whispers, but there's no reaction from the fast asleep and probably exhausted little thing.

*****************

Wei Ying returns a little later than expected because the youngsters kept telling him about their game and then insisting on a bedtime story before they fell asleep. Wei Ying has always been weak to their demands and tonight is no different so it's past sunset when he gets back to his room.

Thankfully, the Noodle is still asleep when Wei Ying gently pulls the garments off his little body. He's relieved to see all the injuries have healed under the messy state of his body, so he fills a basin with warm water heated by talisman and gets to work. Using a rag, he dips it into the water and strokes it over the length of the Noodle, feeling better when the bright shimmering body is revealed unharmed, as if he had never been injured in the first place. 

“I'm so glad it worked on you,” Wei Ying whispers, gently cleaning him. To his surprise, the Noodle begins purring like a cat, a deep sound coming from his throat, so Wei Ying smiles. “I must be doing something right,” he muses. He feels incredibly honoured that the little creature feels safe and happy enough to react that way.

When he's done, he wonders if he should wake him up - he must be hungry like Wei Ying is, though Wei Ying hasn't caught any food for him. The dilemma is taken out of his hands because the Noodle yawns, and opens both of his eyes, slowly blinking up at Wei Ying. 

“Oh, my, aren't you beautiful!” Wei Ying gasps, picking him up so he can look closer at him. 

Now that they're at eye level, the Noodle suddenly stiffens, warily staring back at him.

“Don't worry, I don't eat little ones like you,” Wei Ying snickers. “But I brought dinner. Are you hungry? Come and have a look. I wasn't sure what you would like, so I picked a variety.”

He uncovers the tray and puts the Noodle down next to it. Watching him closely, Wei Ying tears open the Baozi and offers it to him, but the Noodle sniffs, makes an offended face and slithers towards the lettuce leaves and carrots. They eat together, Wei Ying privately relieved that he'd brought things he doesn't particularly like because at the minute, he'd wondered if his new friend might be the kind of lizard to eat just plants. Turns out he was right.

Once they finish eating, Wei Ying pulls off a hawberry hardened with sugar and breaks it into pieces. “Here, this is for dessert,” he offers, with a bright smile. It's impossible not to be happy with the little creature.

The Noodle looks suspiciously at the new offering, as if he's never seen anything like it.

“It's sweet,” Wei Ying explains, tearing one berry off the stick with his teeth, the sugar cracking in his mouth. “Delicious!” He informs the other with his mouth full. “Go on, try it.”

The Noodle sniffs at his portion, and a forked tongue comes out to lick the sugary part tentatively. And then, deciding he likes it, he takes a small, elegant bite out of it. 

Wei Ying grins and concentrates on his own treat, but when he looks up, the Noodle is done with eating, lying on his back with a tiny visible bump on his tummy. Wei Ying strokes a finger over it, helpless to stop himself. The Noodle shivers.

He can't help it; Wei Ying cracks up, laughing until his eyes fill with more tears. Still giggling, he fetches a jar and collects each one, sealing it tightly. He adds it to the growing collection on the shelf. When he returns to the bed, he tries not to laugh anymore because the Noodle looks furious. But since he can't even get up, Wei Ying thinks he's safe.

“That, my friend, is called a sugar crash. I should have halved your portion.” Wei Ying clears the dinner things, leaving the tray outside his room for the morning, and goes behind the screen to change into his night clothes. It's far too warm to wear much at night, so he comes back wearing just trousers. The Noodle takes one look at him and his little ears become noticeably pink, even as he glares at Wei Ying. 

“What? This is my own room, and I'm allowed to sleep how I like,” protests Wei Ying, climbing into bed.

The Noodle hisses, even as Wei Ying makes space for him, next to his pillow. “You definitely need to sleep it off,” he remarks, lying down facing him. As he closes his eyes, he says, “Either way, even if you're ninety percent angry and ten percent pissy, I'll take it. It's nice having company. I've never shared my room or my bed with anyone before, so thank you. I hope you feel better tomorrow. Good night, Little Noodle.” He feels something touch his nose and it's easy to imagine the little thing licking it, his version of saying the same thing.

Yes, it's very nice having someone to sleep next to.

******************

The next morning when Wei Ying wakes up, there's something cold around his neck and his hand automatically rises to touch it. It's thankfully providing relief to his heated skin; Wei Ying can never sleep through the night because Yunmeng is hot during the day and even after sunset, it retains the heat of the day with syrupy thick nights. But he can't sleep at all without a covering, so he inevitably heats up and then wakes up because of that, all sweaty and gross. 

But not last night.

The morning sun on his eyelids is what wakes Wei Ying today, and he stretches leisurely, groaning with it. He feels great! Sitting up, he strokes the lizard around his neck, listening to it purring as he too, wakes up.

“Thank you,” he tells the Noodle, even as it hisses back at him. “For looking after me at night. Now, let's go have breakfast? Are you hungry?” He lifts up the Noodle so they can look at each other. “On second thoughts, I'd better bring it here. Those kids are savages and I don't know what they'll do if they find out I've got a new pet.” This seems to anger the Noodle and he nips at Wei Ying’s pinky finger.

“Ow?” Wei Ying says, mildly offended. “It's the truth. You haven't seen them with the other snakes. I don't know if you know, but the Jiangs are Snake Shifters. All the Clans have that ability,” he adds, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice. “The Jiangs are Snakes, the Jins are birds, mostly Peacocks, surprise, surprise, and the Nies are Bulls. The Wens are Owls and Vultures, and the Lans are supposed to be Dragons, but I've never seen one. I guess I'm the only one who doesn't shift. Yu-Furen was sure I would once I finished my last growth spurt but aside from getting hotter, there were no other changes. I don't think I can change at all.”

The Noodle has been staring intently at him, and now he slithers up Wei Ying’s arm, climbing until he reaches Wei Ying’s neck. He wraps around it nuzzling his cheek, as if offering comfort. Wei Ying pats his little head softly. 

“It's okay…maybe I'm just a normal person. Not a shifter.” He forces himself to smile. “The only thing I can do is improve my cultivation and strengthen my golden core. That's getting along nicely,” he admits, pleased about that at least. 

He gently peels the Noodle off his neck and absentmindedly kisses the top of his little head where two stubby round things like baby horns are. “I never noticed those,” Wei Ying says, stroking them before he leaves.

He opens the door to his room and stops. The hairs on the back of his neck stand upright, goosebumps rising on his skin as he stares at the other man in front of him. He's beautiful and smiling, the horns on top of his head a good few inches visible, shimmering. His eyes are just like the Little Noodle, but slightly darker like rich honey. 

The man bows so Wei Ying does, too, mostly out of politeness. He can already feel that this guy means trouble.

“Good day. I believe you have something, or should I say, someone who does not belong here.” He says that matter-of-factly, as if it doesn't drive a spear of worry through Wei Ying. 

He instinctively holds out his arms as if preventing the man from coming any further. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he replies shakily.

“Master Jiang–”

“Wei WuXian.” Wei Ying quickly corrects him. 

“Ah, please forgive me. Master Wei, We are talking about my brother–”

Wei Ying jerks because the Little Noodle has slithered up his leg to perch on his shoulder and he resembles a baby snakeling as he rears his cute tiny head and hisses at the stranger. 

“WangJi, stop that! Don't you know how worried we've all been about you? Uncle is quite beside himself. He won't even eat, and this is the second day since that awful bird attacked you.” The man pleads with the Noodle.

It's quite endearing. The Noodle pouts, and then wraps himself around Wei Ying’s neck, hiding his face in his collar so he won't have to look at the newcomer. 

“WangJi, please.”

Nothing. If there's a change, then Wei Ying feels the Noodle desperately tightening his hold, and when he looks back at the other man, he feels the same concern.

“How do you know he was here?” He asks curiously. 

“Our family has a unique ability to sense those we are close with. It's similar to what baby ducklings do with their mothers, I believe it's called imprinting. And in case you didn't catch what I said earlier, that's my baby brother around your neck. Please give him back.” He holds out a hand as if to take the Little Noodle by force.

Wei Ying steps back protectively, without thinking about it.

The other man's eyes narrow suspiciously, and it's worse because although he's still smiling, it's gone from pleasantly polite to vaguely threatening. 

“Listen, I don't know who you are, but you can't just come here and expect me to give up my Noodle.” Wei Ying stands firm.

“...Noodle?”

“That's what I'm calling him in my head. We just met yesterday, but that doesn't mean I can trust you with him.”

“He's MY brother.”

“So you said. But if Noodle doesn't want to come with you, then he's staying with me. Bottom line.” Wei Ying pats the Noodle affectionately whilst glaring back at this man. “We're friends and I won't allow you to bully him!” He smiles, all of his teeth visibly bared. 

“You don't believe me!” The stranger realises out loud. To the Noodle, he says, “Look WangJi, it's time you put a stop to this. Show him you know who I am, and that you're coming home with me. Wait until Uncle hears about your ridiculous behaviour. Honestly, to think I was worried about you!” He sounds desperate now.

Wei Ying would be laughing except he's realised that he may have to let his Noodle go. With every word that falls from the stranger's lips, he comes to a reluctant understanding: he hasn't once questioned where his Noodle came from. Okay, there hasn't really been the time to do that, but of course, Noodle must have a family who wants him back. A home that is not Lotus Pier. 

There is a stand-off between the sullen reptile around his neck and the pleading stranger claiming to be his older brother. Noodle hisses with an increasing hostility further intensifying the situation. 

Wei Ying needs to do the right thing, whether he likes it or not. And the right thing means getting to the bottom of the matter - finding out the truth.

“Just a minute,” he promises to the stranger, before retreating inside his room again. He closes the door and gently tugs the Noodle away from under his chin so that they can talk. Looking into those lovely golden eyes, Wei Ying senses him softening. “Look, I don't know why you're still a Noodle. I mean, your brother, if that's who he really is, can obviously shift, so you should be able to, as well. And you can understand me, so I should probably ask you some questions, okay?”

Noodle nods but Wei Ying gets the feeling he would be pouting if he could.

“Listen, Pal, I don't like this just as much as you don't. But we have to do the right thing, even if I'm going to miss you.”

Noodle firmly wraps his tail around Wei Ying’s wrist, squeezing gently. He doesn't want to go, either.

“Alright, please be honest with me. Is that really your brother outside?” For a moment, Wei Ying holds his breath, hoping Noodle will shake his head. He has brows that look severe, or they're supposed to be, but it just makes him look all the more adorable. 

Noodle nods again, unaware that he's breaking Wei Ying’s heart. How is it possible for him to get so attached to the little guy so quickly, when it hasn't even been a full day and night since he fell into his hands? 

“Oh. Oh, little guy…” The full weight of what he now must do makes Wei Ying’s chin wobble. But he bravely continues. “Okay, think about this carefully, right? Because I really want you to stay here with me. But when I think of how much I'm gonna miss you, it makes me think of the people who love you where you came from, and they've known you for a lot longer than I have. If I'm feeling like this, then what must be going through their minds now? Won't they be hurting worse than me?” A single tear gets past his defences and rolls down Wei Ying’s cheek.

Noodle darts forward and licks it away, looking sad.

“So…” Wei Ying’s voice breaks, but he's determined. “We have to decide what we're going to do, alright? If you go back to wherever your brother is going to take you, will you be safe?” Another tear escapes and meets the same fate as its predecessor. 

Noodle nods, firm and decisive. 

Wei Ying walks with leaden feet back to the door, opening it with one hand. He can barely stand to look at the stranger, Noodle’s brother. He tries to be polite. One more time with shaking hands, he pulls Noodle close to his chest and hugs him, kissing the top of his head. A reluctant smile plays on his lips when he sees the familiar pink ears growing darker. The brows furrow, slanted.

“Little Noodle…you be a good boy now, don't give anyone any trouble, ‘k?” At this point, Wei Ying is just about holding himself together. He forces himself to stay strong. And then Little Noodle surprises him by kissing Wei Ying all over his face and making him laugh. “It tickles,” he protests, but secretly he's enjoying it.

“WangJi…we should go.” The brother sounds regretful.

Wei Ying gently pours Noodle into his waiting hands. “Wait!” He suddenly remembers something. “Please wait here, okay? I'll just be a second!” He waits for confirmation before darting inside his room. As promised, he's fast and when he comes back outside, he's holding a jar of clear liquid. It's full, and when it catches the light, it shimmers with all the colours of a muted rainbow. “Here,” he pressed it into the brother's free hand. “If Noodle gets hurt again, then promise me you'll use this? You have to put it on his injury. It will make him better. It did when he fell from the sky, too.”

The brother looks horrified. He checks out Noodle’s condition, making sure he's alright. 

“What's in the jar?” He asks, a little warily.

“My tears. Oh, don't worry! It's not from being sad,” Wei Ying assures him, trying to keep smiling. “It's the same effect even from laughing tears. I don't even know why it works, but it does. The healers around here can't get enough of the stuff. They're always asking for more.” He shrugs because he really doesn't understand it. But as long as it helps people, then he doesn't mind providing the strange cure.

“Thank you, Master Wei,” the brother bows again.

“Um…please look after Noodle, okay?” Wei Ying toughens up his voice. “If I hear Noodle is upset or hurt or…or, something, then you'll have to answer to me.” 

“Of course,” the other man replies, sounding much kinder now that he has his brother back. “Thank you for saving him,” he adds, with a strange look in his eyes as if he's thinking deeply about something. 

His sword unsheathes itself and hovers near the ground next to his feet. “Goodbye.”

“Farewell.” 

Wei Ying watches as they take off. Noodle doesn't look away either, even when his brother faces away from Wei Ying to fly in the opposite direction, Noodle rests his head on his brother's shoulder turning away from wherever they're going. Wei Ying waits until he can't see them anymore, and then with a heavy heart, he trudges back inside. He falls onto his bed face down, and hopes his pillow can muffle the sounds of him weeping. 

He doesn't want to keep these tears.

*******************

Three Years Later…

Yu-Furen marches into the dining hall like a general on the battlefield, confident and strong, and unusually today, with ill-disguised excitement. None of the three children, nor her spineless husband, who are quietly waiting for her arrival, dares to say anything that might upset the delicate balance of the fleeting, momentary peace.

She strides to her place right next to Jiang Fengmian and gracefully sits down.

“Once breakfast is over, A-Li, A-Cheng, you will go and make yourselves presentable. We have guests coming today. Important people arriving with a purpose.” Her deep voice gets to the point, slashing away at any niceties to present the marrow of her meaning.

“Truthfully, San-Niang, we do not know why they are visiting us today.” Jiang Fengmian says goodnaturedly, pouring tea for her while the servants come forward with plates of food.

“Of course we do,” she replies, full of disdain. “Lan-Zongzhu specifically asked after our children and if they'll be present today. They are both of marriageable age, so it should come as no surprise when the same situation is evident in Gusu. A-Li! Stop that!” Yu-Furen snaps, only now noticing what her daughter is doing. “If he wants to eat lotus seeds so badly, let him peel them himself.” She watches with grim satisfaction as the vagrant boy smiles at her daughter and puts a hand over the bowl between them, signalling that he doesn't want any more. “And you, Wei WuXian. You are to make yourself scarce. I don't want you anywhere near Swords Hall. You can have the day off so long as you stay far away. Got it?” She hates his answering smile, his constant attempts to please her, despite her vitriolic need to wipe it off with harshness.

She cannot understand why he's so happy all the damn time, and she keeps putting more work on him, in the hopes that it will calm his restless, mischievous spirit. But to her instant chagrin, he not only accepts all the new responsibilities in his stride, but that hateful smile, his mother's smile, remains fixed to his lips.

She does not want to think about unpleasant things now. Today is an important day with possibly promising consequences, and she doesn't have time to deal with his bullshit. The last spoon of food, provided by the Jiangs for that most ungrateful delinquent, has hardly left his mouth before Yu-Furen dismisses him first. It is quite clear to her where he belongs, and that place is not here, not when auspicious tidings may be brought about through a joining of families.

One way or another, she will secure good matches for both of her ordinary, lacklustre children, seeing as the only thing they've got going for them is their noble birth and heritage. Which is far more than that orphan has.

*******************

Wei Ying’s curiosity gets the better of him after he overhears the servants gossiping about the guests who are to grace Lotus Pier with their presence. He does scoff to himself about it in the teeniest, tiniest way, just a bit, because the pretentiousness of the preparations are definitely over the top. He makes sure to stay out of sight though, because Yu-Furen WILL make the time to give him a beating if he goes against her direct orders. He leans back on the roof of the kitchen, listening with his sharp ears.

“All of the good china must be sparkling and ready. They could be here at any moment!” The housekeeper says, while the cook grumbles. 

“How am I supposed to come up with a snack that rivals osmanthus cakes but make them lotus flower themed? Isn't she asking for too much?”

“Hush, now! If she hears you–”

“You think you've got it bad!” Another one of the maids rushing past the kitchen says, her hands full of reed brooms for sweeping. “Jiang-Zongzhu says we must ready fifty rooms for the guests in case they stay the night! We already cleaned them out yesterday, but Yu-Furen says it's not good enough! It's not even midday and I'm bushed!”

Fifty people? Wei Ying wonders at that. Why so many? Are they really coming to make a match with Jiang Cheng or Jiang YanLi? It's rather out of the blue, isn't it? Arranged marriages always seemed optimistic on the part of the parents in Wei Ying’s mind, something the gentry Clans kept doing despite varying degrees of success. Looking at Jiang Fengmian and Yu-Furen’s union, that's a case in point of gross incompatibility, and you would think that these high-born nobles of all the Shifter Clans would learn a lesson or two from their definitely less-than-happy marriage. 

He finishes pouring the rest of the wine down his throat and stands, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. It's time for a nap and he knows just the place for sleeping, letting a few restful hours drift by…

****************

Lan XiChen smiles as Lan WangJi angles his sword closer. He glances at his baby brother full of pride, happy to see him fully recovered now. Three years ago, Lan WangJi had been soaking up the sun on a warm boulder when a passing eagle flying up above decided that he would make a tasty mouthful. The ensuing horror of seeing his baby brother caught up in lethally sharp talons, hearing his wounded cries…that's an experience he would rather forget. The timing of that incident had been particularly dreadful; Lan WangJi had been molting, discarding the skin he had outgrown and letting the cold mountain air harden his fragile new body and then without any warning, his life was thrust into mortal danger. 

Fortunately, the outcome became something to celebrate, especially after what they've just learned about Noodle’s benefactor. Lan XiChen still teases Lan WangJi with that name now and again, fully knowing that his brother would have preferred hearing it from the lips of the creator instead.

“Do not worry, Didi. We will soon meet with your handsome friend. Our spies have reported back that Wei WuXian is still the Head Disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, and furthermore, Yu-Furen has assured me that her children will be present for our meeting. It will be a joyous occasion, indeed.”

He watches as the concern and anxiety slowly bleeds away from his brother's face, though others would be hard put upon to differentiate any emotions from his usually stoic expression. They've done all they can and now what they wish for must be left in Wei WuXian's hands.

They land gracefully as one, all fifty of them, on the docks of Lotus Pier, a gasp rising from those who see them. Some of the spectators swoon, overcome by the inability to witness something so beautiful and awe-inspiring. The crowds part, unintentionally showing the way to the gates of Lotus Pier itself. There, a delegation of the main family and a few hundred servants are waiting to receive them. Lan XiChen places a hand on his brother's arm, stopping him from leaving the main company. He's worried Lan WangJi may overreact because Master Wei is not in sight.

“Wait,” he further encourages, adding, “we do not know where Master Wei is. Let us gain some information before we piss our hosts off for good.”

Lan WangJi bristles impatiently, but he heeds the advice. Having to stand by while the greetings are performed, followed by small talk the likes of which Lan WangJi could do without, is like having his fingernails pulled off, one by one. The excruciating pleasantries finally come to an end and they are guided towards the Swords Hall. Seats are shown and tea is poured with snacks. Lan WangJi is uninterested, looking around to see if his mischievous acquaintance is hiding behind a pillar observing them. He is sadly disappointed. 

When XiChen gets a chance, he levels his gaze at Yu-Furen, because as everyone already knows, she is the true leader of the Snake Shifters. He's already looked around and appreciated that they've made an effort to decorate the place nicely with new silk banners depicting purple lotus flowers, matching the carved windows and doors.

“Before our arrival, we made inquiries as to whether all of the members of the Jiang household would be present,” XiChen says, keeping his tone polite and formal. “But it seems we are lacking in one Wei WuXian, your Head Disciple. Where is he?”

Yu-Furen is visibly flustered, but she answers as hastily as she can.

“Ah, we had an urgent errand for him to do today, unexpectedly. He will return tomorrow.”

“Has he gone far?” XiChen asks, persistent, internally liking how she is becoming more uncomfortable with his tenacity. 

“Still within Yunmeng.”

“Then, I'm sure you will not object if my brother wishes to seek him out. Meanwhile, we have brought gifts.” He cleverly distracts her by motioning towards the Lan disciples, who have carried wooden trunks and chests with them, to come forward. He nods for them to be opened whilst subtly pushing Lan WangJi away, giving him the permission to leave.

Lan WangJi doesn't need to be told twice; he's up and out of his seat, and out of the door before Yu-Furen can blink twice.

He had memorised where Wei WuXian had taken him first, three years ago. Just in case Wei WuXian is hiding away in his room, that's the first port of call. Servants, all shorter than himself, bow and move out of his way because Lan WangJi has learned a thing or two about finding loopholes, ever since he met with the kindest person in the world. He knows that even if you're not supposed to be somewhere, as long as you act like you have every right to do whatever you want to, people will be less inclined to stop you, all because of your attitude. It's as simple as that.

Seeing the aerial layout of the inner buildings of Lotus Pier helped also, and now Lan WangJi is standing outside the home he's kept alive in his memory. Not a day goes by when he hasn't thought about Wei WuXian and his room, the welcome and careful assistance he received from someone who asked for nothing in return. A person who healed him, brought him back from the clutches of Death, because on that awful day, Lan WangJi knew he was going to die. He had even accepted it…until he opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful man he had ever seen.

Weakened as he was due to the molting and then straight after that, the eagle attack, Lan WangJi couldn't do much except rest and try to recover. But before he was strong enough to get to know Wei WuXian properly, his brother had turned up and taken him away.

Much has changed between then and now, he observes with satisfaction, gently knocking on the plain wooden door. There's no answer so he knocks a little louder, hoping Wei WuXian is just distracted but still inside.

Nothing.

He does not want to go in because it would be an invasion of Wei WuXian's privacy. As he turns to leave, his elbow accidentally nudges the door open and a whiff of heavenly scent drifts into his nose. Lan WangJi closes his eyes and breathes even deeper, hoping to coat the inside of his lungs with the tempting fragrance, all the way down his windpipe. He closes his eyes and focuses, letting the different smells surrounding him become colours. The unimportant ones meld into shades of grey, but the one that he wants, Wei WuXian's scent, begins to glow as if it is made from a red vibrant silk ribbon, just like the one Wei WuXian wears to tie his hair into a ponytail. 

Lan WangJi smiles, full of predatory anticipation. It's the realisation that he can follow this scent, and no matter where Wei WuXian is, Lan WangJi will find him. 

His dragonic senses awaken, forged with the bond created between himself and his mate, the act of licking away the tears of a Celestial One unknowingly shed from the pain of separation. Lan WangJi's body was so small back then, that the two tears he had unwittingly consumed fundamentally changed something inside him. Were he to perform the same action now, he knows it would have little to no effect. But back then, that tiny body already in the process of a huge genetic change leapt into the evolutionary unknown with both of his feet.

The path to Wei WuXian beckons him like a straight path through a forest. Lan WangJi closes the door behind him and wastes no time getting started. 

Wei WuXian is waiting for him.

*****************

Twenty-four chests of precious metals, minerals and stones shine like the interior of a jewelsmith’s workshop, their reflection casting multicoloured shadows on the ceiling. The room is far too quiet, and XiChen is comfortably observant, watching the way the greedy eyes of the Mistress of Lotus Pier drinks in the sight.

“So…perhaps I should explain about my daughter,” Yu-Furen says, breaking the silence. “When she was born, at the same time, my martial sister, Jin-Furen, was blessed with a son. We agreed that when our children came of age, that they would marry each other.”

XiChen nods politely, wondering why she's telling him this. He had not thought of her as someone who engaged in idle chitchat for nothing.

“But in light of your generous offer, I am sure my martial sister would understand if we broke off that engagement so that we could make a different one with you,” Yu-Furen continues.

“Pardon?” The word slips out of his lips without warning. “Why would you do that?”

“Well, what else am I to assume with such a hefty bride price? Or courting gifts? I can assure you that my children will learn to love you and your brother–”

“Let me stop you right there,” XiChen interrupts her. Uncle Qiren might have something to say about that rule break, but under the shocking circumstances, he hopes his uncle will understand. “I believe there are a few misunderstandings to be cleared up before we proceed.” He sits up straighter, falling into his role as Clan leader naturally, his dragon instincts ready to subdue any protest, big or small. They are the rulers of the skies and the unspoken Kings of the Shape-Shifting cultivation world. He has nothing to worry about. “First of all, you are correct in that they are courting gifts. However, the intended recipient is not here, therefore, they should be packed away.” He gestures with just a glance, and the bearers of the chests immediately close and take charge of them. 

“What do you mean, the intended recipient? When you sent us the earlier missive about my children–” Yu-Furen is positively fuming, her eyes tight with anger.

XiChen has no problem interrupting her again. “Ah, I believe my exact words were asking about your family and making sure all were present. And despite sending an affirmation to that question, it turns out to be a misrepresentation since I was under the impression that the Head Disciple of the Jiang Clan fell under this category.”

“I don't understand. All of MY family is here.” She insists, giving him a hard stare.

XiChen glares back. She knows exactly what she's doing. He, too, knows exactly what she's playing at. 

“I see. Then, I should spell things out so that no more misunderstandings occur. Wouldn't you agree?” XiChen reverts to cold politeness, sharper than any sword.

“Certainly.”

“These gifts are for Wei WuXian, your current Head Disciple. The Lan Clan visited Lotus Pier today with the intention of forwarding a marriage request or contract, between Wei WuXian, and my Didi, the second heir, Lan WangJi. That is the ONLY union we are interested in pursuing today. While it might seem a little premature to add, I seriously doubt we would be interested in any other partnerships between our two Clans. I suggest we–”

“What do you mean, a union between Lan-Er-Gongzi and Wei WuXian?” It comes out like a screech. Zidian crackles on her finger, matching its mistress’ volatile mood. “Why would you pick HIM, when you've got two perfectly acceptable, MARRIAGEABLE candidates right in front of you? Jiang YanLi, my first-born daughter, is a lovely, genteel, soft spoken young lady, and my second child, Jiang WanYin, is a truly capable heir to my husband's legacy. Surely you Lans are being hasty, no?” Yu-Furen stands up as if to reinforce her words. She's shaking with anger.

“My brother has not had the pleasure of meeting either of your children. His one and only meeting with Master Wei left him with an unmatched impression, and he is under no doubt that he wishes to go forward in this matter. There will be no change.” XiChen, already bored of this conversation, turns to look outside. 

“But–” Yu-Furen suddenly panics. Try as she might, she can't open her mouth. Her eyes are shocked, darting back and forth trying to discover the cause of her inability to speak.

Jiang Fengmian stands up, ready to assist her, but she shoves him away harshly, furious. “Ah, Lan-Zongzhu, what is wrong with my wife?” 

“What's right with her, you mean?” Another voice whispers, close to XiChen. He turns to look at Lan JingYi, who stares back at him unrepentant. 

“Did you use the Silencing Spell?” XiChen calmly asks him under his breath.

“I had a headache. How many times are you going to explain the exact same thing to her, again and again?” JingYi pouts.

XiChen tries not to laugh. He isn't wrong.

Jiang Fengmian says, stating the obvious, “She seems to have difficulty speaking?”

Yu-Furen is definitely getting redder in the face.

“Perhaps she ought to calm down. One of the juniors accidentally triggered the Lan Silencing Spell, so it is nothing to worry about. It should run its course in an incense stick's burning time.” XiChen has to inform him because both of them are behaving in a manner unsuited to the gentry. Jiang Fengmian resembles a helpless moth that doesn't know what it should do, flitting around the uncontrollable flame that is his wife. XiChen refuses to intervene any more.

“But surely if one of them activated it, then they can undo it, too?” Jiang WanYin says.

Fair point. But then, they'd have to listen to that woman talk. XiChen hopes WangJi can get a move on and bring Wei WuXian here as soon as possible so they can deal with why they've come here.

Meanwhile, he has to deal with the Jiangs. Let's keep it simple, he thinks, turning to the Jiang heir. 

“No.”

*******************

The forest looks much the same as it had three years ago. But Lan WangJi isn't interested in the varying green shades of rich emerald leaves, the many varieties of plants and foliage. Nor the wondrous varieties of colourful flowers enticing the pollinators with their perfume, or the little creatures scurrying away from him in recognition of a greater predator encroaching upon their territory. 

One scent and one scent alone has captured his attention, lighting up the way to Wei WuXian as if lit by blazing torches. Vanilla and lotus flowers, a heady combination that he just can't get enough of consumes him, and Lan WangJi hopes that Wei WuXian will be pleased to see him. Will he even recognise him in this new-and-improved body? He's about to find out because his sharp eyes have located him.

There he is, back leaning against their Banyan tree, one leg raised with the foot resting on the branch and the other leg dangling down, perfectly still. His eyes are closed, and he's fast asleep, using his black robe like a blanket. Crimson underrobes peek out from around his neck, carelessly open to reveal golden sun-kissed skin. Lan WangJi comes to a stop when he reaches nearby, his eyes feasting on that deliciously tempting sight. 

Wei WuXian looks even more beautiful than Lan WangJi remembers. His face is slack, a peaceful expression making him appear harmless with his round pink cheeks and pointing chin, the usual animation around his being conspicuously missing. Dark, sooty eyelashes curl delicately on the swell of his soft-looking skin, his lips pouting with whatever he's dreaming about. His dishevelled hair is still tied securely by the scarlet ribbon, the ends of which trail past the branch he's sitting on, fluttering in the gentle breeze. His even breaths moving his chest, the attractiveness of the whole picture leaves Lan WangJi wanting more. His own heart begins to pound with anticipation, and his mouth goes dry.

What is he even going to say to him?

That brings about a panic about something that Lan WangJi hadn't considered. What does he do now? He's filled with an unanticipated worry, mixed feelings churning in his gut. He wants more than anything to fly up there and kiss that beautiful pink pouting mouth…but will it be welcome? For all he knows, Wei WuXian might have forgotten him. That's a jarring thought.

However, there is one solution that will eradicate both problems. With a mischievous grin (internally), Lan WangJi leaps up into the air and transforms into the small version of himself, the one that saw Wei WuXian for the first time. That form allows him to not talk, and anyway, sign language is way easier. Less room for putting his foot in his mouth. Also, it should fill up any holes in Wei WuXian's memory. He lands lightly, right in Wei WuXian's lap. Wei WuXian remains fast asleep, blissfully ignorant of what is slowly slithering up his body, sliding in underneath the dark robes so that he can snuggle around that delectable neck with the noodle-shaped hollows around Wei WuXian's collarbone. It's nice and warm here, filled with the tantalising scent of Wei WuXian himself, comforting beyond measure. 

Lan WangJi feels himself relaxing all in one go, as if he has missed Wei WuXian's presence all this time and now finally he has come home. This is his place, with Wei WuXian, however he will allow it. Lan WangJi will take anything he is willing to give. He closes his eyes and falls asleep, safe in the arms of his soul mate. 

*****************

“Where do you think Hanguang-Jun is?” Lan JingYi asks, reapplying the Silencing Spell, just in case. He's had enough of the Purple Spider, wrongly named he thinks, because there's nobody who loves the sound of her own voice more than Yu-Furen. Spiders are meant to be silent, for god’s sake.

“I don't know,” XiChen replies for the twentieth time. 

Privately, he has wondered this just as much, but since he's supposed to be leading by example, he can't voice his exact thoughts. Perhaps meditation is the key, seeing as conversation is out of the question. He hopes that this visit to Yunmeng will be the last in a good many years because the trauma of this particular one is enough to last him a lifetime. He's only here because they needed this to be an officially recognised bid, so that Wei WuXian will be free to decide what he wants to do. Lan WangJi was fully in favour of elopement, and talking him out of said action only worked when XiChen pointed out the benefits of his way as opposed to running off into the sunset by themselves, even if marriage with Lan WangJi was something of interest to Wei WuXian to start with. Hopefully they've found each other and they'll be here any minute now.

Any….minute…now…

****************

Wei WuXian wakes up slowly, and there's something cool around his neck. What a nice feeling, he reminisces, thinking about his friend. Maybe he's still dreaming. If that's so, then he doesn't want to wake up and be disappointed that Noodle isn't here. His hand rises slowly, in trepidation because he's quietly waiting for reality to go ‘poof!’ and there'll be nothing there.

But–!

His warm fingertips touch something cool and smooth, like snake skin. He's held Jiang Cheng often enough in his snake form to know what it feels like. Interesting…his dreams have taken on a three dimensional quality. His fingers travel along the length of the long body…if this truly is Noodle, then he's grown longer for sure!

Unable to take the suspense, Wei WuXian's eyes snap open and then his delighted cry wakes up his little friend. “Noodle!! You came back!” Wei WuXian exclaims excitedly, rubbing their noses together. Noodle wastes no time licking him all over his face until Wei WuXian can't stop giggling. “Oh, it's so good to see you! Tell me, did you pull a fast one on your Xiongzhang and escape from his clutches? Is your uncle going to send out a search party to look for you?”

NoodleJi shakes his head and slithers backwards, and then there's a cloudy white mist where he was, and suddenly in the place of Noodle is a magnificent shifter dragon. Gorgeous golden eyes shyly watch him back as if he can't help himself, unable to look away. This man is utterly divine. His jaw looks like it's carved from real jade, pale and smooth and so manly. His proud and straight nose brings a quality of grace to his ethereal features, brows angular in a very familiar way. And the horns! They're sparkly and hard and so majestic! There's no doubt about it: this here is his friend, Little Noodle!

“Is it really you?” Wei WuXian says in a small voice, tears welling up. 

Lan WangJi nods, a little wary at his yet to be ascertained reaction. So he's not at all prepared for Wei WuXian to burst into tears. He does the first thing that comes to mind instantly - he gathers Wei WuXian into an embrace to comfort him. His arms come around the slim body of this beautiful man, and Lan WangJi has never had to do anything like this before, so he strokes Wei WuXian's hair gently, hoping it helps.

Wei WuXian grins back at him with wet cheeks. Lan WangJi pulls out a handkerchief and wipes his face gently, reverently. 

“My brother and I have come to meet with you,” Lan WangJi explains, getting straight to the point. “We have some information to give to you, but also,” his ears begin glowing, all pink and pretty. “We want to invite you to the Cloud Recesses. There is something we need to show you. And also…”

“Also what?” Wei WuXian asks with curiosity. 

“We have come with a marriage proposal.”

“Oh, yeah,” Wei Ying agrees. “Yu-Furen was saying something like that. Are you getting married, Lan WangJi?”

“My name is Lan Zhan, Wei WuXian. And that depends on you.” His golden eyes darken momentarily, flashing with black slits before reverting back to his human eyes.

“Please, you can call me Wei Ying. Why does it depend on me? What've I gotta do with it?”

“Wei Ying, I want to marry you and–”

With a shocked screech, Wei Ying pushes away, forgetting that they're high up on a tree and that there's such a thing as gravity. He falls backwards into the air, but Lan Zhan dives after him with superfast reflexes, catching him just inches before he would have hit the ground. The air is knocked out of his lungs, tingles spreading all over his skin. 

Lan Zhan holds him close to his impressive chest with a worried expression. “Wei Ying! Are you alright? I did not mean to shock you like that.” He sounds so sincere.

“Ah…I should be apologising to you! Sorry, Lan Zhan! I really wasn't expecting you to say something like that. Honestly.” Wei Ying, aware of how nice Lan Zhan smells, (is that a dragon thing or a Lan Zhan thing?), and how carefully he's being held as if he's something precious to Lan Zhan. 

“Does that mean Wei Ying is saying no?” 

Oh, god, he looks crushed, like Wei Ying found his favourite childhood toy and gave it a mud bath before stomping on it with both feet.

“Wait! Wait! I'm not saying no! I just need to think. It's a bit fast, isn't it?” Wei Ying quickly protests, feeling like he's just walked into a thick tree. On purpose. Certainly, the bashing of his head against a hard surface sounds great about now.

Lan Zhan visibly reins in his features, but no matter how hard he's trying, the hope blooms in his eyes and makes Wei Ying feel…all sorts of things.

“Wei Ying, ever since I left you, I have wanted to see you again. If I may ask, how do you feel about me?”

“Well, obviously I'm happy to see you.” Wei Ying can't look away from him. There's a little bit of smugness radiating from Lan Zhan, understandably. “And by the way, wow, you're a fucking dragon! I can't believe I was calling you a Noodle!” From what he's heard over the years, Dragons mate for life. And they're a bit on the possessive side.

“I liked it,” Lan Zhan admits, a smile ghosting on his lovely lips.

Lovely lips? Did Wei Ying bang his head after all? What is he thinking?

“Perhaps we should go back,” Lan Zhan continues.

“Hmm? Go back?” 

“Mn. Xiongzhang will know what to say to make this better.”

“Oh, you mean back to Lotus Pier. Hang on! I can't go back yet! Yu-Furen won't be happy at all if she sees me. She told me to keep away.”

Lan Zhan straight up growls. 

This close to him, Wei Ying can see exactly how pissed he is upon hearing that bit of news. The dragonic eyes are back, narrowing into dangerous yellow slits again.

“I do not like that woman.”

“Um…so, she's not that bad? A bit lacking in the patience department, but it's because she cares about Lotus Pier.” Loyalty has Wei Ying saying that. Whether he believes it or not isn't the point, but he's heard it often enough from his ShiJie to recognise it for the excuse that it is.

“She will not be allowed to hurt you. Wei Ying is safe with me.” 

He feels safe, and that's a problem. Okay, Yu-Furen won't make him have another appointment with Zidian while the Lans are here, but what about when they're not? What will happen to Wei Ying as soon as the Lan delegation returns to Gusu?

Lan Zhan begins walking back anyway, unaware of his inner turmoil and still carrying him like a bride. He's considerate about it too, because there's no jostling or roughness, just sincere care.

“I guess we're doing this, then,” Wei Ying mutters to himself, resigned to the consequences. 

Lan Zhan stops walking. “Wei Ying, I will stay here to protect you, if that makes you feel better. However, there is something important we must tell you. But I would prefer it if Xiongzhang tells you. He can explain it better.”

“It's okay. I use my tears to fix me up. Otherwise my back would be a mess!” Wei Ying replies agreeably. “And about the whole marriage thing, I'm not against it. Not at all,” he realises out loud, with wonder directed at himself. Huh! Who would have thought that? In fact, the more he thinks about it, the more he discovers. “See, I kind of just expected to go with the flow. If Yu-Furen wanted me to get married, then I'd probably have no say in it. I'd most likely have to go along with it and hope for the best. If she wanted to keep me in Lotus Pier, and not get married, that also wouldn't really matter to me.”

“Why not?”

“Well, if it's an arranged marriage, then what are the chances of me falling in love with the other person? Next to zero, right? Especially if Yu-Furen picked someone out for me, no doubt she'd make sure I was miserable just for the sake of it,” Wei Ying laughs. Then he realises the rumbling noise next to his ear is Lan Zhan getting angry on his behalf again, and although Wei Ying is used to finding the most positive outlook in every single situation that happens to him, others may not have that inclination. In fact, they might not find it amusing at all. He better put out this fire right now in case Lan Zhan decides to act on his feelings. Peace is definitely a better option. So he says, “But you're giving me a choice. And I already like you, despite having to mentally acrobat my way from seeing you as Noodle and then like this.” He allows himself the treat of looking at Lan Zhan properly. 

A teeny tiny smile appears after the rumbling growl stops. “Wei Ying should always have a choice,” Lan Zhan insists.

“It would be nice if that were true. I would like some control over my life and what happens to me, but it's different for you, Lan Zhan. You have your brother looking out for you, and your uncle. If you're part of the main family, then I'm sure they wouldn't force you to do anything you don't want to. But my situation relies on the goodwill of those in charge. My mother was a disciple whose master is an Immortal and my father was a servant to Jiang-Shushu. When people talk about them, they tend to focus on my dad and completely ignore my mother's heritage. That should tell you a lot.” Wei Ying sighs. He's aware that Lan Zhan will find it hard to understand what he's trying to get across. It's impossible to empathise unless one had direct experience of the classism that prevailed among the gentry Clans.

“This is why Wei Ying should come back to Gusu with us,” Lan Zhan replies, speeding up. He actually sounds excited, which is a mystery to Wei Ying since he doesn't know why.

But when they reach the carved lotus gates of the main complex, Lan Zhan pauses. Feeling his gaze upon him, Wei Ying looks up to find Lan Zhan’s gaze on him. It's exciting, to be at the centre of his attention, like an acquired target. To have the sole focus of those wonderful golden eyes, and to know it's a real choice - that Lan Zhan wants to look at him. Exactly like this.

“Wei Ying, no matter what happens inside there,” Lan Zhan’s glance lifts to look at the Swords Hall in the distance before returning to Wei Ying, “I would like you to know that you are under no obligation to agree to this marriage. People will say things for and against what I want, which is to marry you, but nobody's opinion or thoughts count except yours. Even if you decide not to marry me, I would happily remain at your side as your friend, if you would allow that much.”

Wei Ying pats his hand reassuringly, his smile blooming like a flower upon his face.

“Lan Zhan, as soon as I step within Yu-Furen's sight, marriage is going to be the least of our worries.” He actually giggles, a reaction born from slight hysteria and panic, and the solidity of his own belief that he must endure whatever happens next.

Lan Zhan carefully puts him down on his feet. “May I have a hug? I fear I will need reinforced positivity to balance out the negativity in there.” It's a flimsy excuse. 

Wei Ying sees right through it and laughs brightly, stepping towards him. Their arms naturally encompass each other, giving one another strength. It's a lovely feeling, to have someone ready to fight for him. Without strings and without an emotional price tag. He can feel the dull, muffled thudding of Lan Zhan’s heart right next to his, solid and strong. His hands tease Lan Zhan’s hair, the silky ends running like water through his fingertips.

“Hanguang-Jun! There you are!” A voice shouts and Wei Ying reluctantly lets go of him, stepping back and seeing the same want all over Lan Zhan’s face.

“Lan JingYi,” Lan Zhan acknowledges, after the younger disciple's bow of greeting.

“Zewu-Jun sent me to find you. It's really awkward in there, and he says I'm not allowed to shut people up!” The last bit is a whine of petulance, making Wei Ying laugh out loud.

That draws the attention of the younger one and introductions are quickly made. Then they have to go inside. Wei Ying can't help ruffling the kid's hair; he seems like someone with no filter, and that's highly unusual for a Lan. Wei Ying gets the feeling they'll get along like a house on fire. 

“Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying says, just on the threshold of the hall, out of sight still.

“Mn?”

“May I borrow your hand?”

Lan Zhan holds it out and Wei Ying takes it, at first clutching it with wonder against his own chest. It's warm and big, easily engulfing his smaller, more delicately boned hand. But for proprietary’s sake, they can't go in like that so Wei Ying steps closer to him and hides them within their sleeves. No more procrastinating: they must enter now.

JingYi is right. The tension in the room is so thick, it feels like they're wading through custard as Lan Zhan leads Wei Ying towards his brother. 

“Master Wei, it's good to see you again!” XiChen looks genuinely relieved, his words sincere.

“Aww, same, XiChen-Ge, same!” Wei Ying bows and then hugs him, startling the older man.

“Wei WuXian! Get off him!” Yu-Furen strides forward with Zidian sending electrifying jolts into the air. “You–”

Again, she's prevented from speaking, and all of the Jiangs except Jiang YanLi, glare at Lan JingYi. Lan Zhan has already inserted himself between the fiery-tempered woman and Wei Ying, because Wei Ying can just about make out Jiang Fengmian hurrying forward to bring her back towards their own section.

“JingYi.” XiChen glances at him.

“What? My hand slipped,” he protests, totally unrepentant. 

Wei Ying has to bite his lips to stop the laughter coming out.

XiChen directs everyone to sit down, and then he turns to Wei Ying. “Master Wei, did my Didi get a chance to talk to you?” He looks between both of them.

“He said he wants to get married and–”

“Wei WuXian! You better not have done anything stu–”

“Yu-Furen, nobody is talking to you. Jiang-Zongzhu, I beg you to please restrain your wife.” It is absolutely clear that XiChen has lost his patience now.

JingYi has fists in the air and is mouthing, “See? It wasn't me this time!” because all the people in the room are staring at him now.

“You were saying?” XiChen continues, as if there isn't a volatile ball of flames shaped like a woman far too close to them.

Wei Ying glances over towards the Jiangs, the people he has considered his family all this time. He still does, but he's also wary of how they must be feeling. In his mind, there will certainly be a beating to follow, perhaps marking the end of an unusual day. Jiang-Shushu is occupied with keeping Yu-Furen seated next to him, she's spitting venom from her eyes, and Jiang Cheng looks annoyed. The only one who smiles back towards him with gentle encouragement is his ShiJie, Jiang YanLi. She nods at him that it's okay to continue, giving him strength from all the way there.

“Er…so, Lan Zhan wants to marry me,” Wei Ying replies, turning so that he's only looking at XiChen. 

Lan Zhan squeezes their hands together, adding to his strength collection. 

“While that is not the only reason for our visit to Yunmeng today, I would still like to know what your thoughts are on that matter.” XiChen smiles, though there is an edge to it, this time.

“To be honest, I hadn't thought that far. But Lan Zhan made me realise that I wouldn't mind being married. I haven't finished thinking about it, though.” Wei Ying looks hopefully back at him, wanting that much to suffice. Anything else is private and he doesn't relish the thought of opening his heart to show them the soft insides of what it contains when most of those present are strangers. 

“I see.” His face is neutral, though Wei Ying’s instincts tell him that it wasn't the answer he was hoping for. “Above all, I value your honesty,” he replies, looking down at his hands which are folded on his lap. “There is another matter we came here to discuss with you.”

“Just me?” It comes out like a squeak, making XiChen smile more sincerely. 

“Yes, just you, Master Wei. Our last encounter, brief though it was, gave me lots to think about, and I voiced my concerns to my uncle. At the time, WangJi was recovering from his ordeal but he joined us in the quest for answers. Not many people are aware of this, but tradition has always believed in the five major Clans being direct descendants of the Celestial Shape Shifting Animals, the ones nurtured by the Queen Mother of the West, the Jade Empress herself. While there are many Shifters around of lesser birth, one stands out far and beyond the general community, one species that has retained its nobility and high birth.”

“You're talking about the Phoenix!” Wei Ying exclaims excitedly. “There was a class and….” His voice whittles down into a whisper. “But what has that got to do with me?”

“Your grandmother, and your mother's Shufu, Baoshan Sanren, would be better equipped to talk to you about this matter. We can only tell you what we know. But we have come to ask you if you would accompany us back to the Cloud Recesses because there is something we would like you to see, which will further prove our point. Suffice to say, we think you are a direct descendant of the Noble Bird, the Jade Emperor's Phoenix.” XiChen's face is full of kindness now.

“What?” Wei Ying shakes his head. “But that's impossible! I'm not a shifter. I can't change at all.”

“That is not the only sign of your heritage, Master Wei. Have you forgotten your tears and their miraculous curing ability? Phoenixes have that gift because one day, when the Jade Emperor hurt himself, his loyal companion, a Phoenix by birth, was so upset that his tears flowed openly, soothing the wound. The Jade Emperor was so pleased, he granted him a boon of being able to cure even the worst affliction simply by the tears he shed. You said it yourself, you used them on my brother when he had near to fatal injuries. You saved his life, and in spite of the life debt the Lans are indebted to you, we thought it prudent to share the information we have learned with you. Not out of obligation because my brother is a firm believer in your teachings.”

“M-my teachings?” Wei Ying looks over at Lan Zhan, flummoxed. “What did I teach you? We hardly spent any time together!” This is getting more and more unbelievable!

“Kindness towards all creatures. Kindness for the sake of it. Kindness without expectations of reward.” Lan Zhan wants to say more but Wei Ying reaches up with the prettiest blush gracing his cheeks and covers his mouth with his hand. 

“Lan Zhan–”

With pink ears, Lan Zhan still manages to speak. “Wei Ying showed me with his actions. That day, you could have tossed me into the lake and forgotten about me. But you did not do that. My condition brought you to tears and you used them to heal me. You brought me into your home and cared for me. You fed me and bathed me, and ensured that I lived. Above and beyond any duty.”  

Tears well up in his eyes again and Lan Zhan brings out his white handkerchief once more to wipe at his face.

“These gifts are to show our gratitude,” XiChen tells him, but before he can order them to be opened, Wei Ying stops him.

“Please, no. That's not necessary,” he protests adamantly.

“If you will not accept them, that changes nothing. They will be put aside in your name in our family vault.” XiChen stands up. “There is one more thing within your power to grant us, if you will.”

Everyone stands up, too.

“What would you like from me?” Wei Ying asks, unconsciously reaching for Lan Zhan again. Warmth envelopes his hand and he already feels so much better. The day has morphed into something surreal - crazy things are happening all around him and he feels like he's caught up in a tornado of madness. Lan Zhan, familiar and known to him, is his only anchor in the storm.

“Please come with us. Stay in the Cloud Recesses for a while and see what the world outside of Yunmeng looks like. It is up to you on how long you would grace us with your presence, but we request enough time to show you proof of your heritage.”

“Don't go!” Jiang Cheng pushes past the people standing in his way with his sister. “Wei WuXian! This is your home!”

“A-Xian…you have to do what is right for you,” Jiang YanLi says.

“A-Jie!” Jiang Cheng whips around to stare at her, looking betrayed, disbelief on his face.

“A-Li! What are you saying?” Yu-Furen bursts out, lips bleeding.

XiChen waves a hand and she's silenced immediately, spitting fire from her angry eyes.

“Oops. My hand slipped,” he mutters under his breath.

No one calls him out on it.

“Yu-Furen, Jiang-Zongzhu, I wonder if you are aware of another trait that belongs to the Celestial Phoenix. It is said that wherever they reside, that place will be blessed with prosperity. Tell me, have you seen such good fortune appear through the course of the last ten years? Hasn't Lotus Pier been thriving? Are you not comparable to the Jins in Koi Tower, and to their considerable wealth?” He can already see from their faces that he's right: the arrival of Wei WuXian to Lotus Pier has brought them unimaginable wealth and good fortune. So he adds a little something extra, just in case they're thinking about preventing Wei WuXian from leaving. “That prosperity is a double-edged sword. It only lasts as long as the person who brought it to you is happy to stay. If he is forced to live here against his wishes, then that prosperity changes into misfortune. All of your wealth will disappear as easily as it arrived. Every single good thing that has happened to you will change because you are exerting your will over that of the Heavens. Phoenix birds are meant to be free, so think carefully about what you want for your future.”

“ShiJie, Jiang Cheng, let's talk outside,” Wei Ying says, pulling Lan Zhan along with him, who looks inordinately pleased to be included.

They leave the uproar inside Swords Hall and move out towards one of the deserted docks. Jiang Cheng furiously strides ahead of everyone stomping on the wet wood while Jiang YanLi takes Wei Ying by his other hand.

“It's nice to meet you,” she says to Lan Zhan, who bows back. “Mn.”

They catch up to Jiang Cheng, pacing like a caged tiger on the wide platform of the deck.

“I can't believe you're ditching us,” Jiang Cheng scowls, leveling a furious glare at Wei Ying. 

“I can come back anytime,” Wei Ying informs him. 

A strange calmness settles over him, like a blanket of confidence. He has already made up his mind and that comes as another surprise to himself. It's remarkable how his mind hasn't caught up to whatever's trending inside him. He looks at Lan Zhan and finds those glittering, amazingly beautiful golden eyes already staring back at him. He sees a flicker of hope.

There's no need to say anything. He can see what Lan Zhan is thinking; worry that Jiang Cheng will stop Wei Ying from going to Gusu. But alongside that is resignation - hadn't he promised to stay with Wei Ying if he didn't go to the Cloud Recesses? He's prepared for either scenario. So Wei Ying brings his hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it. It is a wordless promise to be patient with him. 

Lan Zhan’s wonderful golden orbs change once more, still round and human but with a ring of fire around his irises. The intensity of his reaction is so great, it threatens Wei Ying's capability to stand. Lan Zhan nods once, a slight thing, just for Wei Ying to understand his acceptance. 

Wei Ying lets go of him and turns towards his brother. Theirs is a bond forged through training together, eating together, spending every moment around each  other. They are brothers in all ways except that of blood, and somehow, they are stronger for it. That's why it is important for Jiang Cheng to understand why Wei Ying has to go.

“Even if you come back, it won't be the same!” Jiang Cheng’s eyes are rimmed with red, fists clenched at his sides.

“But if we're talking about changes, then aren't they inevitable? Isn't it a bit naive to think that the way we're living together now isn't forever? Even if that's what we want, isn't it out of our control?” Wei Ying moves closer. He has to do this slowly because Jiang Cheng really is like a cornered animal, all teeth and rage. He will make a marked effort not to understand, because that would mean he has to let go of Wei Ying. 

“We've never been apart!”

“What about the summers spent in Meishan?” Wei Ying can't help smiling at him, because he's conveniently forgetting all the times that Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi were invited to their natal Clan and Wei WuXian…was not. It wasn't every year, but it was made bearable because Yu-Furen would join them there, and so Wei Ying was free to do as he pleased for nearly a whole month in Lotus Pier. Long, hot summer days spent mostly in the water and with no threats of violence.

“That's different! This feels…different.” Jiang Cheng replies, his brows furrowed tightly. 

“Listen, ShiJie is probably going to get married soon. And it was only a matter of time after that, that Yu-Furen would have found a way to get rid of me.” Wei Ying ignores the erupting growl from behind him, focusing on his baby brother first.

“You sound like you want to go.” That's an accusation. 

Jiang Cheng is like an archer, firing arrow after arrow, a volley of words at Wei Ying’s verbal armour. So Wei Ying has to do something drastic. 

He tells the truth, no sugarcoating it. “I do.” 

“What?” Jiang Cheng balks at him. “Why? No matter what A-Niang is like, you belong here. With us.”

“But Jiang Cheng, haven't you ever wondered about what lies beyond the borders of Yunmeng? Haven't you ever wanted to fly across chilly ice-capped  mountains and watch your breath steam? Swoop down and see the lush green valleys filled with wildflowers of every colour imaginable? What about the ocean? What would it be like to see the sea stretching out far into the horizon? Take a dip in the water, squish our toes in the wet sand? I've seen pictures and read about all these things in books, and I wanna go! I want to see it for myself, see all that this world has to offer, taste different foods, and have all sorts of adventures. I wanna go swimming with exotic little fishes, climb the tallest trees. I want to try my hand at everything, even if I fail and even if it's only once, just to try. That's why I want to go.” Wei Ying is breathing hard by the time he finishes. “For a while now, I've been feeling restless, tied down. I feel like I've done everything I can here, and if I want to grow, it won't be here. I need to spread my wings.” He winces at the irony of his words, since he very much cannot shift.

“We can go together, if you like.” Jiang Cheng is desperate now. Clinging onto whatever he can, even while watching what he wants slip through his fingertips. 

Wei Ying shakes his head at him. “That's not your dream, and there's nothing wrong with that. You want to stay here. Your place is here, and it would be wrong for me to take you away from it.”

The silence is heavy and terrible, dragging on until Jiang YanLi decides to step in.

“A-Cheng, A-Xian is right. We shouldn't stop him from going and doing all these marvellous things when–when the only reason we've got is ourselves.” She wraps an arm around him and beckons Wei Ying over, who slams into their bodies because he can't help it sometimes, and it's a crushing hug, all three of them together. “Both of you, listen to me now. No matter what happens in the future, you, A-Cheng, you, A-Xian, and me, we will always be together, the three of us. Understand?”

“Yes, A-Jie.”

“Yes, ShiJie.”

“Good boys.” She steps back, attempting to wipe under her eyes but her brothers don't give her the chance, and both of them step closer to do it for her instead. She ruffles their hair and then turns to Lan Zhan. “Lan Er-Gongzi, all of you should stay for lunch. That will give everyone a chance to get ready. A-Xian, you should show him your room while you pack what you need.”

And that is the end of that. Jiang YanLi takes Jiang Cheng by the hand and leads him towards the kitchens.

“You have to love ShiJie,” Wei Ying says, taking Lan Zhan’s hand for himself. 

There's something so nice about being able to hold it, palm against palm, and he rather likes the way his smaller hand fits inside Lan Zhan’s bigger one. Lan Zhan’s hands are not only larger but so much warmer. And so beautiful. His nails are shapely, the skin soft to touch except for the pads of fingers that wear callouses suggesting an interest in musical cultivation. Wei Ying remembers reading something along the lines that the Lans are famous for that. Maybe he might even sing one day for Lan Zhan…if he asks nicely. 

“Mn.”

That brings his thoughts back to where they're going and what he was saying. “Yeah, ShiJie is kind of our referee. Jiang Cheng and I, well, I love him to pieces but gods, can he be stubborn? He's so infuriating that sometimes, the best thing to do is shove him into the lake.”

“Mn.” 

Wei Ying giggles because that ‘mn’ was definitely in agreement. He's getting to know Lan Zhan better, and that includes deciphering his little tells. It's not just his expressions which change in minute degrees, but the tones he uses that to others, seem benign on the surface, but is actually him letting his inner bitch out. Wei Ying gets the feeling that Lan Zhan might be really funny. More to find out, then. He definitely loves it when something makes Lan Zhan’s ears change colour. It's the best thing, because it highlights how affected he is, a stark statement against the misunderstanding that he's a cold person. He might appear that way on the outside, but his exterior is only hiding the brewing volcano underneath. Lan Zhan feels things deeply and yet, he has mastered the art of not letting his thoughts show…which says more about the way he's been brought up. The Lan Clan are responsible for the way he is.

Suddenly, Wei Ying wants to make it clear to him that Lan Zhan can be open with him. He wants to show Lan Zhan that it's safe to let his guard down when it's just the two of them, that there is no judgement in Wei Ying towards him. But how to do that? Wei Ying lets that thought sit in the back of his mind to ferment. Impossible problems have a way of sorting themselves out when he leaves them alone, as if his mind will come to a correct solution by itself and will inform him of that when he's ready. It would be nice to give Lan Zhan a safe place, just like he's beginning to make Wei Ying feel that way, too. It's not because of that, not an exchange but more because Wei Ying thinks he might like that, to be able to exist freely even for a little while. 

They reach the familiar building in among the servants quarters, and Lan Zhan tries not to frown. Yu-Furen has a lot to answer for in his book. Housing a Celestial Phoenix here, with a leaky roof and away from the main family is just one offence. He has been paying attention to every word that has left Wei Ying’s lips and the part about a messy back almost made him challenge that bitch to a duel. How awful of her to punish a child under her care like that! And her interference throughout XiChen talking to Wei Ying was awful, adamantly voicing her complaints as if anyone else would share them. He's never been more grateful for the Lan Silencing Spell than today.

They enter the room and Wei Ying pulls out a qiankun pouch. Lan Zhan is sure that one won't be enough, but in under five minutes, Wei Ying has managed to stuff all of his clothes and a bunch of notes and extra talisman paper inside it. He throws in some trinkets and grins.

“I'm done!” He announces, bouncing back to Lan Zhan. 

If anything, the room looks even more messy with brushes askew, torn bits of rags on the floor, and is that a bit of a dried steamed bun just under the bed? It's a wonder that no creepy crawlies have invaded his refuge. Wei Ying blushes when he sees where Lan Zhan is looking. 

“Talismans keep the bugs out,” he says, leading Lan Zhan out of there.

In his mind, Lan Zhan just has pleasant memories of this place. Three years ago, he'd woken up feeling tired but safe, and the most beautiful person kept talking to him, comforting him, and he'd found that his situation wasn't too bad after all.

“Wei Ying is clever.”

That only makes him whine louder, hiding his face in Lan Zhan’s shoulder, but Lan Zhan can see his shy smile peeking out, and is pleased about it.

“Say, Lan Zhan?”

“Mn?”

“I'm pretty sure ShiJie isn't ready for lunch yet, so would you like to come with me? I just want to see my favourite places in Lotus Pier, one last time. I was going to go visit them anyway…to say bye. If you wanna come along–”

“Yes. I will come with Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying suppresses a shiver because of Lan Zhan’s lovely deep voice and its single-focused agenda of caressing his ear canals on the way to making his insides all gooey.

He takes Lan Zhan on a tour of the lakes, rowing them out into the centre of lily clusters amid a sea of lotus flowers. The air is thick and rich with their perfume, freshened by the gentle breeze. Wei Ying takes a long time to select the best one, white and delicate, reminding him of the man sitting in front of him. And then he blushes, looking at how gorgeous Lan Zhan already is.

“Lan Zhan…can I put this in your hair?” he asks, unable to stop smiling. 

It's worth it when Lan Zhan actually smiles. What a delight! It's a gift in itself that Wei Ying gets to see him like this, openly happy. Lan Zhan on an ordinary day is gorgeous, a work of art, and Wei Ying has had this buzzing feeling under his skin ever since he came to find him under the banyan tree. But this happy Lan Zhan feels like a reward for Wei Ying, an enhancement on the ordinaryness of life. Like rubbing his eyes to see the world more clearly. 

“Mn.” 

Lan Zhan leans forward bending slightly so that Wei Ying can put the flower behind his ear, nixing the previous thought of somehow adding it to his elaborate guan. The accessory is too tightly fixed and anyway, its grandness would overshadow the poor little flower. It looks wonderful next to the pink ear, and Wei Ying settles back, satisfied. 

“I learned how to swim in this lake,” he says, looking away from Lan Zhan because he's far too beautiful to do that. It's like looking at the sun.

“How did you do that?”

“Jiang Cheng pushed me in!” Wei Ying cackles. “To be honest, it was probably the best way for me. Everyone learns differently.”

“Mn.” That's got a disapproving tone.

“Aww, Lan Zhan, don't feel bad for me. I got him back, so don't worry,” Wei Ying pats his knee with a snicker. When his tummy rumbles, he says, “Maybe we should head back now.”

Lan Zhan, quick as flash, nabs the oars and begins rowing them back amid Wei Ying’s protesting squawks, saying that he's a guest and shouldn't be doing it. But it's certainly a sight to see. Wei Ying appreciates how fast they return to the docks where a fuming Jiang Cheng shouts and stomps off, and Lan Zhan isn't even sweating afterwards. Calm and collected, he nimbly steps onto the deck and then offers Wei Ying a hand to help him. 

He doesn't let go afterwards, either.

****************

Wei Ying’s ShiJie is amazing, Lan Zhan thinks. He doesn't know how, but she had done her research about the Lan diet and provided a range of vegetarian meals seasoned only with the minimum of spices, though they were flavourful and rich nonetheless. He tries not to shudder at Wei Ying’s bowl and plate, starkly red with aromatic peppers and chilli oil. Compared to what the Lans are eating, there's a huge contrast between them, pale and watery to brightly crimson. 

Once lunch is over, it's time to go. Jiang YanLi presses a qiankun pouch into Wei Ying’s hands, hugging him tightly. 

“It's chilli sauce and chilli oil, and pickled peppers, just the way you like them,” she says in a thick voice. “Look after yourself, Didi. And come back to see us whenever you can.”

Lan Zhan immediately makes up his mind to, a) recreate whatever she's given him for Wei Ying, and b) she's the best one here and his favourite person in Lotus Pier, hands down. 

Wei Ying tears up because he loves her so much, and it's hard, leaving her and Jiang Cheng. 

Jiang Cheng hugs him just as aggressively, furiously wiping his eyes that are red from crying. “You better bring me back the best present,” he chokes. “That way, you have to come back.”

Oh. 

Lan Zhan discovers that there are many ways to love, not all of them soft and fluffy. They can be as prickly as a cactus and just as hardy, able to grow in the most direst of climates.

Jiang Fengmian just smiles, patting Wei Ying’s head and saying nothing. 

Wei Ying bows towards him and Yu-Furen, who looks away with twisted lips, eyes dark with fury. “Do not bring shame to the Jiang Clan,” she says, keeping her eyes off him.

“Don't worry, Yu-Furen. I won't,” Wei Ying says cheerfully, and that only makes her frown deepen.

There's no pleasing some people, Lan Zhan thinks, as XiChen scoffs under his breath. It is amazing that Wei Ying has not only survived, but thrived, here with such stifling guardians. But in spite of this, Lan Zhan wonders if Wei Ying’s contrary environment has made him pursue his own success with an increased determination, adamantly breaking free of his constraints. And if that's the case, then given the freedom to grow, how much will Wei Ying soar towards the open skies?

It will be exciting for sure.

Then Wei Ying is swarmed by his Shidis and Shimeis, all of them crying and begging him not to go. Lan Zhan watches as he takes the time to reassure them all, still giving them tips on how to improve their training and making them promise in a way that Yu-Furen can't hear him, to remember to have fun and enjoy themselves, too. But it's when he hands over his remaining clear jars to the healers, and when some of the elders of the Jiang Clan hug Wei Ying, giving him their blessings, that Lan Zhan realises how much Wei Ying is loved by these people. That's what eases the ache in his heart that Wei Ying isn't appreciated here; on the contrary, he will be very much missed.

Then it's time to board the boat which will take them on the first leg of their journey towards Gusu. Lan XiChen, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, plus a handful of disciples are travelling this way, while the other forty-odd members of the Lan Clan return by sword so that preparations can be made before Wei Ying’s arrival in the Cloud Recesses. 

Wei Ying is quieter than he's ever been as they leave, waving towards his sister and the other disciples, the only ones still remaining on the pier watching their boat get further away. The rest of the family had long since departed.

Lan Zhan wraps an arm around his shoulders to try and comfort him. 

The riverbank changes as they move towards the uninhabited parts of Yunmeng, nature taking over with trees dipping low hanging branches into the swiftly flowing river. Foliage, green and thriving grows thickly along the sides, vibrant emerald leaves with a particularly fragrant scent perfuming the air when they pass. Yunmeng is so different from Gusu. One is filled with lakes, rivers and waterways while the other has imposing peaks and dipping valleys, mountains and hills. 

What will Wei Ying think about Lan Zhan’s home? 

Will he like it?

*****************

Wei Ying recovers his good spirits once they get off the boat. Before they started travelling towards Gusu, XiChen suggested it would be an easier transition for Wei Ying if they went slowly, and looking at him now, Lan Zhan admires his brother's ability to predict the situation correctly. 

However, the thirteen of them make up a larger-than-normal group of people wanting to rent rooms for the night, and the innkeeper reluctantly informs them that they will have to share or find other accommodations. 

“Lan Zhan and I can share,” Wei Ying calls out, amid others of their group saying the same thing, willing to share so their group won't have to split up. 

He's completely unaware of how this makes Lan Zhan glow, possessively glowing because he's a dragon by nature and Wei Ying has unconsciously lit a fire inside him.

XiChen smothers a smile and agrees, arranging for baths to be delivered to all of their rooms.

Truthfully, Wei Ying had expected there to be two beds in their room. Once they enter, he gapes at the huge double bed, a blush rising on his apple cheeks.

“Um, I can sleep on the floor,” he stammers apologetically, since he'd been the one to suggest they share the room.

“No. We can share,” Lan Zhan says, eyeing up the bed, quite excited about the prospect. But in light of everything that Wei Ying has given up to come on this trip, he's forced to consider the situation from Wei Ying’s point of view. “Unless it makes Wei Ying uncomfortable. I am quite alright with either.”

“Oh…that's alright, then,” Wei Ying bites his lip shyly, “I don't mind, either. I used to crawl into my ShiJie's bed when I was little, and Jiang Cheng's bed just to creep him out when I was older, so we're good.”

The bath arrives and Lan Zhan tells him to go first while he places heating talismans on their food and begins preparing the accompanying tea. When they'd stopped halfway down the river at a small town to stretch their legs, Lan Zhan had spotted a stall selling ‘the spiciest chilli oil - or your money back’ goods and without thinking, immediately bought a few bottles. 

Now, he pulls one out, hoping Wei Ying will be pleased with him.

He's been ruminating all through the day, about Wei Ying’s admission that he wasn't ready to think about marriage and wanted time to think about it. In Lan Zhan’s book, that means he's got the time to show Wei Ying what it would be like if they WERE married, and what a relationship with himself would mean. 

This is so important to him. Lan Zhan has never been as sure of this as he is, more than anything. Not even receiving WangJi or Bichen felt the same way, and he feels like he can't mess this up. This is his one chance to court Wei Ying properly, even if Wei Ying won't see it like that. He wants to do his best. The ultimate objective is for Wei Ying to accept him, but Lan Zhan comes to another realisation: marriage is preferable, but only if Wei Ying wants that as well. He wants Wei Ying to be happy, so that must be based on what he should decide for himself. 

Suddenly, it's as if a gust of wind has taken away the pressure, the burden of his own thoughts.

He has already promised Wei Ying that all Lan Zhan wants is to be by his side. That, he's surprised to understand, is enough for him. Wei Ying’s happiness is the objective here, and marriage is not dependent on that. By this realisation, he is at the same time not overlooking his own paralleling happiness either, because making sure that Wei Ying is content and thriving will already guarantee the same for himself. 

So it's with a genuine smile that he greets Wei Ying coming around the privacy screen, wet hair still dripping on the floor and looking delightfully tempting. Lan Zhan grabs his towel and helps to dry it off, combing through the strands of silky softness with fingers coated in sandalwood oil.

“Now I'll smell like you,” Wei Ying murmurs with eyes half-closed, unaware of Lan Zhan’s inner dragon quietly preening to himself. 

Wei Ying should smell like him.

Lan Zhan strips off his clothes as he rounds the privacy screen and for some reason, Wei Ying makes a choked out sound behind him. Ah, he must have discovered the extra spicy chilli oil. Good, Lan Zhan thinks as he settles into the water. He sees the talisman on the edge of the tub and realises that Wei Ying has casually used his genius again. The talisman has cleansed the water and kept it hot, a slight modification on a common set of strokes regularly used by all cultivators. It proves how thoughtful Wei Ying is, though Lan Zhan isn't able to decide what he would've preferred: a clean bath tub or one that Wei Ying had used before him. He finds it super difficult to imagine that anything of Wei Ying’s would disgust him, including bath water. Which is odd given what a germaphobe Lan Zhan usually is. He doesn't even share anything with his brother, let alone any other Lan disciples. 

All of Wei Ying should be loved, he realises. And then he can't help feeling smug because it's true of himself. He does love Wei Ying. It is not dependent on Wei Ying loving him back, in fact, Lan Zhan is pretty sure that's irrelevant to him. His love feels unconditional, as pure as the first snow in Gusu. And now he wants to get back to Wei Ying as fast as possible, meaning this is probably the fastest Lan Zhan has ever bathed. He wrings out his hair and shrugs on his robes, fastening them with one hand. They gape open and Lan Zhan finds that he Does Not Care about that.

He all but flies past the privacy screen and then recovering from his haste, slows down with immaculate precision, sitting down elegantly with all the grace of a king. He takes in Wei Ying’s gaping mouth and his wide eyes slowly drifting down past his loose wet hair, barely combed, down his almost fully open bare chest, and the carelessly tied belt. Wei Ying gulps hard, visibly forcing his eyes up to Lan Zhan’s face.

“Is this alright?” Lan Zhan asks him casually, as if he's always in such a state of undress. He hides his breathless excitement as his own hand gestures vaguely at himself. 

“O-of course,” Wei Ying stammers helplessly.

Mission accomplished, then.

Meanwhile, Wei Ying is struggling. 

Never has he had to wonder if the fact that he's a fast study would be detrimental to his wellbeing. Well, okay, so he had to settle for second place when it concerned Jiang Cheng, but that's professionally. 

This? 

What Lan Zhan is obviously doing to him?

That's on purpose. It's Personal. 

Wei Ying has gone from thinking about marriage with Lan Zhan to jumping his bones right this second, and it's all his fault! Not content with being all sweet and accommodating all throughout the day, holding his hand and comforting him, whilst being fully on his side, but Wei Ying has had to stop himself from imagining what Lan Zhan looks like naked in the bathtub. Shamelessly, he had yanked off his clothes Right In Front of Wei Ying’s salad, literally. And then! Then, it was followed up with listening to every single splash of water, every single sigh of relief, and while that's happening, he's had to prevent himself from taking it further with his imagination. 

And if that wasn't bad enough, what does Lan Zhan do next?

The shameless hussy dares to come out from the other side of the privacy screen half naked and dripping, as if Wei Ying is blind.

Fucking Hell.

Now they're sitting opposite each other and Wei Ying can feel the super heavy weight of Lan Zhan’s mesmerising eyes, their golden gaze lighting up sparks inside his body and he must keep his traitorous eyes on his food otherwise there is the real risk of him self-imploding. Only the stupidly weak-looking table rests between them. Its innocence is the only thing stopping Wei Ying from lunging across its surface to grab Lan Zhan’s collars and crash their lips together. 

He squirms in his seat, unable to keep still. There are changes happening in his lower body and he's glad Lan Zhan can't see.

And…there's this super hot fizzling tension that Wei Ying would be able to lick if he sticks his tongue out. 

How dare Lan Zhan make him feel this way? Like he's too hot in his own skin, like he wants to tear his own clothes off! Just to get some relief. 

Actually…that might not be a bad idea.

Tit for tat, literally. 

Wei Ying, naturally prone to chaos and mischief, decides to do exactly that. Partly because he's never been one to bow down to competition, and partly because he really is suddenly way too hot.

As soon as he finishes eating, he feigns tiredness and surreptitiously loosens his waist sash. He makes a show of standing (unnecessarily) and bending (also completely unnecessarily) so that he can give Lan Zhan a glimpse of his bare chest while he properly takes care of his dirty dishes, stacking them on the tray as slowly as he can while flashing the elegant, regal man inches away from his naked collarbones. Wei Ying makes a point of not looking at him on purpose, his sharp ears catching the sound of grinding molars followed by the loud, impossibly unmistakable clatter of chopsticks falling on his plate. 

Then, exceeding his own shamelessness, Wei Ying stretches tall and straight, right next to Lan Zhan’s face.

Oh, look at that! Those wonderfully cute ears have gone all red, foregoing the pink stage.

But it woefully backfires because now, Wei Ying wants to bite them. Feel that soft skin and taste the heat of it. 

In a seriously uncoordinated move, he dives into the bed under the covers and hides his flaming face in the cool pillow, willing his body to calm the fuck down. (It does not listen.) His heart is racing like a war drum, goosebumps prickling along his heated skin. How is he supposed to sleep now? He's such an idiot!

He hears Lan Zhan rise, a strangely odd unsteadiness to his footsteps. The chink of porcelain and glassware being tidied up and then soft sigh of sheets moving, the ensuing cooler air and then the weight of a heavier, muscular body settling in beside him. The mattress dips and then the lights are extinguished, darkness descending upon them like an additional blanket.

Wei Ying dares not move, paralysed by his own actions. He listens to each breath, each inhale and exhale of air as it enters and leaves Lan Zhan’s beautiful lungs, and he waits. Lan Zhan is sure to fall asleep soon. Then, Wei Ying will turn to sleep on his side. It's far too early for him to go to sleep, but he had been too embarrassed to stay standing in front of his target.

How is one supposed to flirt anyway, huh?

Someone should think about doing classes about seduction, because Wei Ying feels out of his depth in this, a lone boat lost at sea. Tossed about to the whims of the current and the winds, unable to figure out where he should be going.

When Lan Zhan’s breaths become even, Wei Ying finally allows himself to relax. He turns over in the bed, eyes still closed. An arm gently pulls him closer and the rhythmic thud of a steady heart under his ear lulls him into sleep. Surrounded by warmth, Wei Ying gives up the fight to stay awake.

***************

In the light of the new morning, Wei Ying wakes up alone in bed, and not long afterwards, the door opens. Lan Zhan enters their room looking every inch like royalty. His steps are sure and confident as he puts their tray on the table.

Thank god, he's wearing clothes. Five layers, Wei Ying counts with slitted eyes, trying to rouse himself into action. 

He falls back into sleep. 

Minutes, or it could be hours later, he feels something warm and fleetingly wet on his face, and Wei Ying finally wakes up properly. Lan Zhan has been wiping his face with a hot towel, and now smiles down at him as if he were something precious. He helps him to sit up. Foregoing all decorum, Lan Zhan brings him breakfast in bed, having procured a tiny table with legs.

Wei Ying might already be in love with him.

He quickly shies away from that thought and concentrates on not choking while he eats, even though Lan Zhan tries to reassure him that he can take his time.

Neither of them mention last night, and Wei Ying is grateful for that. 

Rather than rushing into something that his body is primed and ready for, but at the same time, something that his mind is clearly not caught up with, feels like waiting is the right thing to do. This situation is exactly like standing on the edge of a cliff wondering if his next step should be forwards. Wei Ying wants to be sure, and he knows that his answer to Lan Zhan about wanting to think about it was the right thing to say. He needs time to sort out his feelings, whatever they are, before he takes any action. 

And putting aside whatever is happening with Lan Zhan, Wei Ying is dying of curiosity. 

He wants to know what this mysterious thing is that the Lans want to show him about his heritage. It's all very well being told that he's a direct descendant of the Celestial Phoenix, and another thing entirely to be able to accept that. He could easily believe it if they were talking about another Wei Ying, but they're not. 

The Lans are talking about him, and he's not ready.

All of his life, he's tried not to think of himself like a failure. By the time he arrived at Lotus Pier, his ShiJie was already being praised for her ability to shift into her snake form. She had inherited her mother's traits there, appearing as a Mangrove Pit Viper, exceedingly frightening to look at but belying her gentle nature. On hot summer nights, she often transformed herself so that she could coil around her brothers and keep them cool so they could sleep.

That was fine, Wei Ying told himself. He had time, because Jiang Cheng was younger than him by five days, and he hadn't transformed yet. Wei Ying had told himself that he would not start panicking until Jiang Cheng presented.

The very next day, Jiang Cheng came running up to him, shouting his excitement as he shifted in mid-air. His snake form was a Lavender Snow King, glossy and deeply purple like his sister, but with a paler underbelly. 

Wei Ying was genuinely proud of him, while quietly drowning in his own anxiety. 

Any day now, he would chant to himself. The snide comments began increasing every time Yu-Furen caught sight of him, saying that when she expected more from a street rat, that mistake was on her. In a way, Wei Ying was glad that Jiang Cheng had shifted first, because that made him automatically better than Wei Ying. The only thing within his control was his cultivation and empowering his golden core so that it functioned better. He made sure to swear the healers to secrecy, because Yu-Furen was not above making Jiang Cheng pay for that, or punishing Wei Ying for making himself stronger, regardless if it was better for the Clan overall. 

By the time he met NoodleJi for the first time, Wei Ying had resigned himself to not being able to shift at all. It was alright, he comforted himself, he could do some different things that the others couldn't, albeit not in front of Yu-Furen. By age twenty-one, Wei Ying had come to terms with his non-ability. It was fine. And it wasn't like he could change anything. It simply wasn't his fate.

On another level, he wondered about his parents quite a bit. Talking about them was a no-no, especially after he was severely beaten for asking Jiang-Shushu about them because Yu-Furen overheard him and made sure he never made that mistake again. He tried to remember what they looked like and ShiJie found him crying because he'd forgotten something so important. “Silly Didi,” she had gently scolded him, taking him into her soft arms. “If you want to remember what they look like, just use a mirror. You are the best parts of your Mama and your Baba, right there.” She even let him use her dressing table where the mirror was in three parts so he could see himself from three different angles. As the years passed by though, his memories of time spent with them dwindled into one last happy precious scene.

His father was leading a faithful donkey along a dirt path, his mother and himself sitting upon its back. His mother said something to make his Baba laugh, and then his mother pinched his cheek and ruffled his hair, kissing the top of his head.

“Wei Ying?”

He startles, looking down at his empty lap. Sometime while he was getting lost in his rambling thoughts, Lan Zhan had cleaned up after his meal. Now he was sitting on the edge of the bed with a worried look on his face.

“Yeah, Lan Zhan?”

“Are you feeling alright?”

Wei Ying takes one of his larger hands, smiling when Lan Zhan’s breath hitches in surprise. He begins to play with the long pale fingers, and watching Lan Zhan letting him do it.

“It's been a long time since I thought about my Mama and Baba.”

“Mn.”

“I'm curious about what you and XiChen-Ge found out. About them.”

“Xiongzhang says it's better to show you.”

“But like, what if it's shocking? Wouldn't it be better to prepare me for it?”

“I agree with Uncle and Xiongzhang. We will reach The Cloud Recesses by tonight. Wei Ying will see it tomorrow. Not long to wait.” Lan Zhan smiles encouragingly at him.

But Wei Ying persists. “What if something happens before I can see whatever it is?”

“One should not tempt fate by speaking of something that hasn't happened yet.” Now he's disapproving. 

“But Lan Zhaaan! I'm serious!”

“Hello, Serious. I am Lan Zhan,” he replies, completely deadpan.

Wei Ying stares at him for a good ten seconds before laughing. “Okay, fiinnee! I'll stop asking you about it.”

“Mn.”

“Tell me about Cloud Recesses then. What's it like?”

“I do not want to spoil your first impression of it. You could tell me what you know and I will either negate or affirm your information.”

The knock on the door stops Wei Ying from saying anything, and he watches as Lan Zhan goes to open it. It's one of the disciples who has come to tell them that they're leaving in five minutes. As soon as Lan Zhan dismisses him, Wei Ying is a hurricane of action, jumping up to use the chamber pot and wash his face, while Lan Zhan gets his clothes ready so he can get dressed as fast as he can.

They make it outside as fast as they can, and find XiChen waiting with the others. Taking to the skies, he leads everyone with Lan Zhan and Wei Ying following him, flanked by the rest of the Lan disciples. 

The first thing Wei Ying notices is the slightly lower temperature. Flying is always fun and exhilarating, and they used to hold races back in Yunmeng to see who was the fastest, who had the most endurance, who could do tricks up there, whilst balancing on their swords, and so on. Wei Ying gets the feeling that the upright and serious Lans might be scandalised if he mentions it, so he says nothing. Not that they could've chatted anyway because the wind picks up and it's difficult to hear anything else. Wei Ying pulls his robes tighter around his neck, feeling a little chilly. He regulates his core to even out his temperature and for a while, it works. 

When they next take a break, he's startled because Lan Zhan comes over to him and covers his shoulders in a thicker robe.

“It will only get colder, the further north we travel,” XiChen adds, nodding his approval towards his younger brother. 

“Wei Ying is used to a warmer climate,” Lan Zhan reminds him. “And we are used to the cold, so our cores adjust naturally.”

“It'll be fine,” Wei Ying says, going for bravery, and hoping it's not going to be too bad.

Lan Zhan raises a brow at him while XiChen hands out snacks. They return to flying but this time, Wei Ying notices that XiChen and Lan Zhan both keep looking to the East, where clouds are beginning to gather. Their speed increases, and there's an underlying worry; even Wei Ying can tell that they're trying to outrun the incoming storm, since both them and it are aiming for Gusu. The cloak helps and Wei Ying is able to direct more of his energy towards maintaining his speed, hoping the storm will be delayed.

But the clouds get even darker. Voluminous, deceptively fluffy, their darkness growing exponentially alongside the travelling group as if it's a contest to see who will emerge the victor. 

Lightning splits the sky a short distance away, and Wei Ying tries not to worry. Their swords are made from metal, so it's obviously not a good idea to stay in the sky. A cloud breaks and it's breathtaking to see the way the rain falls like a sheet, a little far away still. Wei Ying’s face is cold and his hands even colder, but it's okay. He is an excellent flyer and he's not scared, not with the Twin Jades moving in front of him. 

He can see them discussing something, Lan Zhan flying a little higher, and then he nods at his brother. They both look back at Wei Ying, and give him the thumbs up sign, while Wei Ying watches them with confusion. XiChen points in the direction they've got to go, and then right in front of his eyes, Lan Zhan transforms.

In between one blink and the next, Lan Zhan leaps into the open sky, letting Bichen fall into XiChen's waiting hand while his body elongates into a long serpentine shape, a slim but powerful water dragon. His white sleek body bunches together and then he uses the momentum to aim for the storm, like an arrow in the sky. He shoots forward, snapping into action. His body is muscular, a powerhouse of intent when he locks onto the gathering black clouds. Just as he reaches them, he rears his head up and blasts a fire of ice from his mouth, just like an earth dragon would shoot fire.

He is magnificent. 

Effortlessly in control, his beauty surpasses any words that could describe him, and Wei Ying can't take his eyes off him. He knows exactly what he's doing, dispersing the clustered clouds into smithereens, evaporating their accumulated power. The air smells of wasted petrichor and ozone, crackling with his ice-cold fire.

And then the sun breaks out, turning all his ice into shimmering iridescent diamonds falling from the sky.

Lan Zhan’s dragon form is masterfully stunning to look at. When he's sure all of the storm clouds have dissipated, Lan Zhan returns to the group, aiming for Wei Ying. He flies alongside him, his golden eyes focused on the black-robed cultivator. 

XiChen slows down and says to Wei Ying, “WangJi is asking if you would like a ride to the Cloud Recesses?”

“Fuck, yeah!” Wei Ying responds with no other stupid thoughts in his head.

XiChen laughs and gestures towards his sword. “I will leave your sword with Bichen outside the Jingshi.”

Wei Ying can't bring himself to care what happens to it. He watches as Lan Zhan comes even closer so that Wei Ying can grab one of his beautiful glittering horns and swing a leg over that powerful body to sit astride him. XiChen plucks Suibian out of the sky, and then they're off!

Wei Ying leans down hugging Lan Zhan’s neck and says, “Lan Zhan, you're so beautiful like this! So elegant and powerful!”

Lan Zhan snorts first, and then Wei Ying hears him in his mind. “Wei Ying, hold on tight!”

Wei Ying clutches him just in time for Lan Zhan to take him on the ride of his life! He twists his magnificent body in a coiling motion to gather momentum again as he shoots far forward, easily beating the ones flying on their swords. The wind whips against Wei Ying’s cheeks, his ponytail streaming far behind him. The exhilaration is beyond compare, the freedom unlike anything Wei Ying has experienced before. Oh, to be able to glide upon the air currents, independent of one's sword, no fear of falling, just floating, flying, plummeting, a wind tunnel of speed and accuracy. 

Cloud Recesses rises up out of the mists, a fairytale city among the clouds. Tiled buildings like teeth in a humongous monster, the peaks of the mountains uneven and raw all around them. It's romantic and gorgeous, and so very cold. Up here, the temperature drop is starkly opposite to whatever Wei Ying felt earlier - if he thought he was cold before, that was nothing compared to the freezing air surrounding him now.

Lan Zhan must sense his discomfort because his speed picks up even faster, flying past what looks like a grand reception hall and other scattered buildings.

Lan Zhan points them out as he passes over them, only the glowing lanterns outside them shining in the night. 

“Great Hall, the equivalent of the Swords Hall in Lotus Pier. Orchid Room, where classes are held when there are guest lectures. Mingshi. Used for dispersing resentment energy. Hanshi, Xiongzhang’s home.” They're flying past so fast, Wei Ying barely makes out the individual structures, and then he sees a bamboo grove, lush and green, leaves whispering in the wind created by Lan Zhan’s flight.

They pass a wooden gate that leads to an enclosure, and then Lan Zhan flies lower, landing in the expansive space in front of a quiet building. The stillness is the first thing Wei Ying feels. His knees are unconsciously gripping Lan Zhan’s body still, and it's only when Lan Zhan huffs out a laugh, asking him to let go that Wei Ying is able to. But the moment he stops holding on, he slides off Lan Zhan’s body in a heap right next to him.

The adrenaline vacuum makes him shiver, and the freezing cold doesn't help. Lan Zhan immediately transforms back into his mostly human form, his expression worried as he helps Wei Ying to stand up.

“Are you alright?” He demands, keeping an arm around Wei Ying’s waist while leading him towards the building. 

There's a sign over the door: Jingshi. 

Wei Ying nods, feeling the strength returning to his legs and arms. By the time Lan Zhan flicks a hand to light the candles, and there are a lot of them, and he also lights the brazier that way, Wei Ying is beginning to feel normal again. Still, Lan Zhan helps him over to the little table between the bed and a longer, wider desk. He sets water to boil for tea and then casually draws his robes back to sit down. That simple action is as elegant and graceful as a dance, and Wei Ying finds that he cannot look away. 

There's a knock on the door and when Lan Zhan returns, he is carrying trays of food and their two swords in the crux of one arm. Wei Ying rises fluidly to help him, but Lan Zhan waves him off. He places the trays on the table in front of Wei Ying and goes to put their swords side by side in the rack to hold them upright.  Wei Ying likes the way they look together, one light, one dark but impossibly complimenting each other. It's as if they belong like that.

Again, Lan Zhan grants him a blessing by performing his seat taking action, and Wei Ying beams at him.

“Mn?”

“I dunno, I just feel incredibly happy.”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan’s eyes go all soft, his mouth gently turning up. He looks pleased to hear that. “Xiongzhang delivered our meal and our swords.”

“I'll thank him tomorrow,” Wei Ying nods, laughing because his stomach has something to say, joining in the conversation with a grumble.

Lan Zhan quietly serves them, finishing by withdrawing another bottle of that famous chilli oil. Wei Ying’s delighted cry is worth it. They eat silently, both too tired to talk in between mouthfuls. Lan Zhan collects the utensils and the dishes and sets them outside for collection. He shows Wei Ying where he can freshen up and then the next few moments are a rush of getting ready for bed.

Neither mentions that they will once again be sleeping in the wide, long singular bed in the room. Together. 

The day has proven to be long and their limbs are exhausted as they settle down to sleep. Wei Ying falls unconscious as soon as his head hits the pillow, feeling safe and secure next to Lan Zhan, who is lying on his back.

It takes Lan Zhan a little longer than usual to close his eyes; he's tired enough to sleep easily, but he wants to look at Wei Ying a bit longer. He can't believe he's here, in the Cloud Recesses, and even more astonishing is that he's right here, next to him. 

In the Jingshi. 

In his bed.

He had worried earlier. He knew the situation was different to that of the inn where they stayed in one room and shared a bed - that had been a situation born from necessity. And although it is a similar thing here, he'd been scared that Wei Ying might refuse to sleep here. With him.

He hopes Wei Ying likes it here. With him.

That's the last thought that floats away in Lan Zhan’s mind as his eyes finally shut against his will.

*****************

The next day starts off earlier than Wei Ying would like, but he refuses to complain because he wants to make a good impression on his hosts. He wakes up when Lan Zhan eases himself out from underneath Wei Ying, and Wei Ying is so embarrassed that during the night, in his sleep, he must have drifted over to the nearest source of warmth, which happened to be Lan Zhan’s body. All hard and smoothly covered by his silk sleeping robes. Mortified that he might have drooled on that divine body, Wei Ying keeps his eyes shut tightly, pretending to sleep. He listens to the sound of Lan Zhan’s routine as he gets ready for his day, and when he leaves, presumably to fetch their breakfast, Wei Ying jumps out of bed and gets ready as fast as he can. He doesn't want to think about the possibility of Lan Zhan having to wake him, and he won't even let his mind drift anywhere near the whole sleeping-in-one-bed thing.

Best not to go there.

It turns out, Lan Zhan had gone to visit his uncle after not seeing him upon his return. 

Breakfast this morning is going to be with the whole Clan.

Wei Ying pales, swallowing past whatever is lodged in his throat. He's no chicken but he's also a stranger in this place and he's naturally worried about what these people are thinking about him.

But when Lan Zhan takes his hand and entwines their fingers together, he relaxes.

“There is nothing to worry about.” 

Lan Zhan’s firm insistence helps but the sparky little high-pitched voice in his head says that it's easy for him to think that. Lan Zhan has grown up with these people and most of them are family, related to him.

On their way to the dining hall, they pass by a huge chunk of the mountain engraved in seal script, shorthand writing that Wei Ying can read easily because of hours spent researching solutions after odd or out-of-the-ordinary night hunts.

He stops.

“Lan Zhan?”

“Mn?”

“Are those–are those rules?”

“Mn.”

“How many are there?”

“Three thousand.”

“What. The. Fuck.”

“Wei Ying.” It is a gentle, if amused, admonishment. Lan Zhan gives him a minute and then he guides Wei Ying away.

“Is that, like, a museum piece?”

“Mn. Functional.”

“Func–functional?? As in, rules still being upheld?”

“Mn.” Now there's no mistaking his amusement. 

“Wait, what, all fucking three thousand of them?” Wei Ying can't keep the shock out of his voice, no matter how polite he's trying to be.

“Yes.” Lan Zhan openly smiles at him.

“What, really?”

Lan Zhan doesn't bother answering. Wei Ying is far too funny in his reactions. 

“It is breakfast time,” he says instead, leading Wei Ying into a long and wide hall with rows and rows of tables.

Occupied tables. It is a veritable sea of white robed disciples, all of them watching him as he stumbles to a halt. Better to bow first, he thinks and does just that.

All of them bow back as one. Not intimidating at all.

Lan Zhan leads him away from that part of the hall to the head at one end of the hall where special singular tables have been set up for the main family. He makes sure Wei Ying sits down and is comfortable before providing his own eye candy show routine of elegantly sitting down next to him.

The meal is served and Wei Ying stares at it in dismay, hoping there will be something else coming, and soon, apart from this already bitter-smelling herbal soup.

But as everyone collectively picks up their spoons to start eating in the eerie silence, Wei Ying resigns himself to this fate. Looking down, he misses the action from his fast companion, but magically, a bottle of chilli oil appears next to his bowl.

That helps.

But not much.

Still, it's rude to say anything that ends up in one's stomach, so Wei Ying does not complain. He reminds himself of his days living on the streets and it makes it a lot easier to swallow the murky pale liquid. 

The rest of the meal passes slowly and it's a relief when Lan Qiren stands up, signalling the end of the silence.

“Today, the Lan Clan is honoured to welcome a special guest to the Cloud Recesses. I am sure all of you will provide warmth and friendship towards one of the last descendants of the Shape Shifting Celestial Phoenix Clan.”

All the disciples clap quietly, and now Wei Ying can feel hundreds of eyes watching him.

Great. Love that for him.

And apparently, that's it. As soon as Lan Qiren walks away, and XiChen follows him with a smile and a wink aimed at Lan Zhan and himself, Wei Ying is suddenly surrounded by lots of eager young faces, politely pleading with him for more information.

They're actually charming without being annoying, and Wei Ying finds the same similarities between these kids and the ones he's used to teaching in Lotus Pier. They are a little bit overwhelming, though.

Wei Ying answers as best as he can, plagued by the Imposter Syndrome that exists in the back of his mind because so far, his only relationship with being a Phoenix is being told he's one - there's no actual experience. That makes him feel like a fake.

Things come to a head when one of the disciples asks, “What's it like to fly? Is it like us?” meaning the difference between when a Dragon and a Phoenix takes to the sky.

Luckily, Lan Zhan, understanding his discomfort, intervenes and effectively shuts down any more questions. 

“It's time for class,” he tells them firmly, leaving no room for argument.

The little ones dare not voice their disappointment, but they pout and linger, not wanting to leave. Lan Zhan gives them a pointed look and then they're scurrying away like busy bees.

Wei Ying links their arms together and grins.

“Thank you, ever so kind Hanguang-Jun, for your lovely assistance. I didn't want them to think less of me, seeing as I can't shift. Or fly without my sword.”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan takes both of his hands in his own and gazes deeply into his eyes.

Oh no…he's going to be sincere about this. Painfully so.

His lovely golden eyes remind Wei Ying of the past, of the rare times he had witnessed the dawn in Yunmeng. Those occurred when he pulled all-nighters and actually saw one in person. Rays of light would extend from a single point creeping past the horizon like a ball of fire, the gradual bright beauty of it stirring a deep ache in his chest at the magnificence of it all, how small he felt in comparison to the greatness of what he was seeing. The sky would transform from a pale icy blue with white edges to peachy gold, streaks of pink and purple colours smudging the wide expansive space above him.

Lan Zhan's eyes are just as intense and burning, full of passionate belief.

“Wei Ying’s worth is not based on what he can do. First and foremost, Wei Ying is a person to be valued for himself. Please listen to me.”

Wei Ying nods at him slowly, not really listening because, who can blame him? Looking at Lan Zhan, his beauty is blinding, especially when he looks like this, fierce and gentle at the same time. It's not just his physical appearance…it is the light of his soul, bright and glowing from within.

“You're such a good person, Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying breathes out, not even blinking right now. He feels like he's hypnotised, completely entranced by Lan Zhan, unable to think. Not even crickets exist in his mind.

“You didn't hear a word I said, did you?” Lan Zhan asks him, silently laughing at him.

“You can't prove that,” Wei Ying winks, recovering as soon as Lan Zhan looks away. “Besides, that's all your fault. You're way too beautiful for me to do anything except look at you. If I can't function, that's totally on you.”

Those delightful ears look mighty good and biteable again. Wei Ying lifts a hand to touch and before he can, it's caught by Lan Zhan. He tucks Wei Ying's hand into his elbow with a small smile.

“Uncle is expecting us.”

“What?” Wei Ying squawks, wholly blindsided.

Here he was, floating in the dreaminess of Lan Zhan and everything he represents and what Lan Zhan just said is the equivalent of dumping him in a lake. A cold one.

“Mn. Let's go.” 

Lan Zhan seems to have figured out that if he wants Wei Ying to cooperate with things he'd rather not do, then it's best to not let him have the time to think about it. Plus he has a hidden agenda.

“I would like to know what you think about the Cloud Recesses.” Lan Zhan says that, as they walk outside into the still dark day. The sunrise is hours away yet. 

Wei Ying throws him an unimpressed glance. “I'll let you know,” he promises. “When I can see.”

Lan Zhan smirks.

Wei Ying tries not to worry. He likes Lan Zhan very much, and he's sure of that. But now they're going to meet people who are important to him, and Wei Ying wants to make a good impression. Yes, they've invited him, but it's up to Wei Ying to fulfill his part, because he still represents the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, even if that's not on whose behalf he is here.

The Hanshi is where both Lan Qiren and Lan XiChen are waiting for them. Bows are exchanged and XiChen pours tea for everyone. There's a plate of sweet biscuits that he pushes towards his uncle first and then Wei Ying. 

“Did you sleep well?” XiChen asks, making small talk.

“Mn. Wei Ying would like to know what you wanted to show him,” Lan Zhan says frankly, bypassing any niceties. 

Wei Ying snickers under his breath and smiles at them. “I've been quite anxious, actually. That's what Lan Zhan means.” He shivers out of nowhere, and all three Lan men jump into action.

Lan Qiren rises to fetch him a blanket and XiChen goes to put more fuel in the brazier. Lan Zhan simply pulls Wei Ying closer and considers it a win when Wei Ying blushes. Then his eyes fall on a long slim box resting beside the teapot. It isn't very wide or deep, suggesting something small but long is occupying it.

“I knew your parents,” Lan Qiren says, gruffly. “Your father a little less, but your mother was a mena–”

XiChen coughs loudly, interrupting him with a tiny glare.

“That is to say, there was a playfulness about her,” Lan Qiren corrects himself quickly. “She gave me this.” His pale fingers slide the box open.

Wei Ying gasps. White soft silk is the bed upon which the beautiful feather lies, a remarkable contrast between both. The feather is iridescent, not the mother-of-pearl calm pink, lilac and blue tones of something that lives in the sea, but fiery and blazing, like a rose on fire. At times red, burnished orange with a trick of the light, and blazing saffron all in one go, and Wei Ying hasn't even touched it yet. It has so much power.

He can feel the pulsing waves of it, dormant but ready.

The outer edges of the feather are similar to peacock feathers in shape, fluffy and fluttery, up to the ‘eye’ of the central pattern, a deep sea green that shimmers blue when examined closely. It's a long feather too, as long as one of  Wei Ying’s forearms. The spine of it is even softer looking, and the creamy white nib is like a pheasant quill.

“Where did you get that?” Wei Ying knows what it is. He's read enough books, seen many artist impressions of what a Phoenix looks like. There is no doubt in his mind that this feather belongs to one. His eyes lift up to see sadness in Lan Qiren, his features full of regret.

“Your mother gave it to me,” Lan Qiren replies. “It was an apology of sorts.”

“Why? What did she do to you to warrant such a priceless gift?” Wei Ying bites his lip and adds, “And where did she get it?”

Lan Qiren looks sharply at him then, stroking his short beard. “You don't believe us. You do not believe the Celestial Phoenix is part of you. Watered down, albeit, nevertheless that same sacred blood runs through your veins.”

“Does it?” Wei Ying demands, his voice taking on an edge to it.

“Yes! I watched your mother take that form during a night hunt that went sideways. She saved the day with her voice, making the enemy go mad with insanity. You must know, each Phoenix is special since they are close to extinction. Their feathers are a precious commodity, able to disperse resentment energy in humans. Ground to a fine powder, the medicine is prone to bringing back a soul from the gates of Death himself. Your mother had seven of these precious feathers, and she pulled this one from her body with her own hand. The pain must have been unimaginable because these feathers do not just fall out, like those of a Peacock. Once they grow, they are forever present in that body. Usually, five is the common number of plumage in them, and yet your mother exceeded even that trait.”

“But why would she give one to you?” Wei Ying persists. He's so eager to hear more about his mother. And his Baba. His ears are thirsty for whatever Lan Qiren can recall. The drought is over and Wei Ying will finally understand a little bit more about the people who brought him into existence. 

“Your mother had…colourful opinions,” Lan Qiren continues, now looking decidedly uncomfortable as if he's swallowed a rancid pear. “On one of those occasions, our debate became heated and even after we parted, it wasn't over for her. She snuck back into my quarters and shaved my beard off. It's never been the same,” he laments, his fingers caressing the prickly skin as if encouraging more growth.

Wei Ying chokes on nothing, earning himself a glare. 

XiChen, quick to spot a Shufu-shaped tantrum, withdraws a scroll from his sleeve. “Wei-Gongzi, your mother helped us to collect information on your species. We've made a copy of the information contained within this text, but this is the original. Your mother wrote it out for us. And we thought it best if it belonged to her son, so please accept this as a token of our regard. You never know, whatever it holds may yet help you.”

“I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me.” Wei Ying doesn’t take the scroll but eyes it as if it was a dog.

“Pressure?” Lan Qiren asks, brow shaggy and confused as to the reason why.

“What kind of pressure?” XiChen also sounds worried. 

“Well, I think all of you have been building up something in your minds about me. I am not blaming you, because if it was true, then isn't it the best thing ever to have discovered a real live Phoenix? So of course, I get it. But I don't want to mislead any of you, in any way.” Wei Ying glances meaningfully at Lan Zhan and has to suppress another shiver, this one having nothing to do with the current temperature and everything to do with the super hot man sitting next to him. Keep it together, A-Ying, he tells himself desperately, not wanting to get derailed. “I can't shift. I've tried everything, exhausted the expertise of every kind of Healer, shaman, know-it-all, and the truth is, I'm a dud. What you see is what you get. I'm no Celestial One, no magical bird, nothing. So please, don't expect anything special from me because it's not going to happen.” Wei Ying shakes Lan Zhan’s arm off from around his waist and stands up. When Lan Zhan tries to follow after him, Wei Ying stops him. “No, Lan Zhan. Please…I want to be alone. J-just for a few hours or something.” 

Lan Zhan tries his hardest not to feel hurt when he nods. He watches Wei Ying leave, hoping he'll turn around for one last look. But that doesn't happen. And when he turns around, he sees that Wei Ying has even left the scroll behind.

*************

A/N

Dear Beautiful Readers, 

This was supposed to be a oneshot and the only requirement was 1 K…and apparently, I can't even do that! This story requires a second part because it's already past 23K and I haven't even gotten around to the actual prompt ingredients!! 😭

So rest assured, the next part will be up soon. I'm doing okay, and thank you to everyone who reached out to me.

All my love,

Charlie

🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫