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“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Chinese Proverb

Lan Qiren is already tired by the time he arrives outside the little house, high up in the mountains. Coincidentally, it is close to where his brother decided to go into seclusion after his ill-fated marriage, and although his brother's home was destroyed in the early stages of what would be called the Sunshot Campaign, the similarities between this building and its predecessor are hauntingly familiar. 

But he firmly believes that XiChen has spent enough time wallowing in guilt, and it will be healthier for him to put this melancholy aside and do some work. As a distraction. And also, to take some weight off Lan Qiren's shoulders. 

So he knocks on the door and breaks a rule by going inside without waiting for permission. 

XiChen is surprised to see him, but dutifully begins boiling water for the tea they are going to have. Lan Qiren sits down creakily, using the time to observe him. XiChen also looks tired, as if he's having trouble sleeping. That's no surprise, after what Lan Qiren has been told about the past few months; he is aware of his oldest nephew's relationship with the now defamed Meng Yao. But today, he wants an explanation from his kin, he wants to know what happened directly from XiChen himself, because it is obvious to him that in order to heal from a wound, it must be thoroughly cleansed first. It cannot be allowed to fester, for that would only increase the suffering…and XiChen has been suffering for far too long.

“How are you feeling, XiChen?” He watches as the long elegant fingers reminiscent of Lan Qiren's older brother, flinches.

“Do you really want to know, Shufu?”

Ah, a spark of anger, and that's a good sign.

“Why would I ask, if I didn't want the truth?”

XiChen shrugs, looking away.

That's new. The apparent nonchalance. Fake because he obviously does care.

The silence stretches on, ticking by with only the sound of his own breath to keep him company. Lan Qiren can hear his heart beating, a poor, sad organ that has seen enough misery in its lifetime. He lets XiChen have five minutes of this pitiful drowning in his own emotions, before he throws him a rope.

“I have heard from others, about the events that occurred in the Guanyin temple, in Yunping. But I want to know from you.”

XiChen's eyes snap to his face, wild with grief and anxious disbelief. “Shufu…I do not believe it myself. Still, and after all this time. What you are asking me, it is the same as plunging your sword into my heart and twisting it.”

“That's enough. I do not care for your dramatics. I believe you should purge yourself from this…this wallowing. Don't you want to get better?”

“Better? Better?? Shufu, you are being unnecessarily cruel. What has changed?”

“Good to see you haven't abandoned all your faculties.” Lan Qiren decides to be honest. “The truth is, WangJi and that awful Heathen returned to the Cloud Recesses last night.” To his abject shock, XiChen laughs.

“What is so funny?” Lan Qiren demands, his temper rising.

“Shufu, it is hard to explain, especially because you have come here, I suspect, searching for an ally.” XiChen levels his gaze at him, this time much surer of himself. 

Only family is perceptive in such a way.

Lan Qiren looks away, unwilling to admit to it.

“I thought I would have support from someone who might share my opinion. Did you or did you not tell that Reprobate that he was the only mistake WangJi had ever made?”

Again, Lan Qiren is shocked because XiChen shudders, sincere regret in his honey-coloured eyes. They've always been warmer than WangJi's icy cold icterine coloured eyes, and perhaps, that is his vulnerability. The chink in his armour discovered by ill-intentioned enemies posing as his friends.

“I apologise,” he finds himself saying, softer now with a real regret. 

XiChen is just as shocked.

“Is this the first time you have said that word?”

Lan Qiren winces, caught out. “If I have made a mistake, then I will be the first to admit it.” He sounds haughty even to his own ears.

“But Shufu, what if you still believe you are right, despite being shown irrevocable proof, undeniable evidence contrary to your own beliefs? What then?” XiChen sounds angry now. “The man I thought was my friend, a person who I knew as my zhiji…someone who understood me on a higher level betrayed my trust so completely as to annihilate my faith in my own self and my fellow man. But tell me this: how are you any better? Isn't your belief that Wei WuXian is a bad person any less than my crime? Out of the three of us, you, myself and WangJi, he is the only one with the correct mindset, and isn't he the only one who was proven right in his unconditional love and support for his soul mate? Whenever I talked to him about Wei WuXian, he consistently advised me in one way or another that Wei-Gongzi’s actions showed what kind of a man he was…but I didn't listen to him. My own brother.” XiChen shakes his head, eyes wet with deep sorrow. “Instead, I listened to the corruptive poisonous words of a man embittered by his own treatment at the hands of others, who couldn't see past my different opinion of him, even if he acknowledged it in the end with his last breath. I allowed myself to be swayed by his manipulations, his hidden agenda that was sweetened with honeyed words meant to gain my trust. Even when I was given the proof of his terrible actions, I decided to think him innocent of the most heinous crimes. I do not forgive myself, because doing so would mean the countless deaths of those murdered by Meng Yao would cease to teach me a lesson. But Shufu, I beg you, do not be like me. Do not make the same mistakes I made. There is still time for you yet, to make amends.” XiChen trembles as he pours out the tea into two simple white porcelain cups. “I am sure others have told you that Wei WuXian was completely cleared of all the charges laid at his feet. There is substantial proof of this, and if you do not believe me, then feel free to speak to Jiang WanYin, Nie Huaisang, or even Jin Rulan. We all heard the confession from Meng Yao.”

Well.

Lan Qiren is shocked. Astounded that his good nephew would berate him in this way, with words so sharply polite that he didn't feel them cutting into his mind until he started bleeding. The worst part of this is that he misses talking to his family. This boy, in particular. And because both of his nephews are like his sons, and it won't matter to him how old they become; they will forever be his children. 

WangJi, when Lan Qiren still considered him his, before he was corrupted by that unorthodox brat, still managed a hum or two of agreement, but if he didn't have to speak, he wouldn't. XiChen has always had a talent for expressing himself, learning early on how to use his words for gaining whatever he wanted, but in such a way that nobody could accuse him of being deceitful. And for the most part, he wasn't. XiChen has always been an innocent hearted person, diplomatic to a fault. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before some black-hearted fiend took advantage of that. Lan Qiren regrets that XiChen has been treated so badly by the universe. 

He could look around for someone to blame, but the horrible truth is, he's looking at him. XiChen made his bed and now unfortunately, he has to lie in it.

The rest of the meeting passes in silence. Time passes so slowly, only the cooling of the hot tea defines it, changing so unnoticeably. Lan Qiren feels it creeping by, because of the growing ache in his muscles, the way he longs to shift, to try to ease it in whatever way he can. He wonders what XiChen is thinking about now. 

There was a time long ago, when he could look at him and know what shapes his thoughts were taking. But this XiChen has changed and it remains to be seen whether it's for the better or not. Lan Qiren is fearful to be optimistic about this.

He rises with a protesting body, pins and needles rushing where the blood flows after an absence. 

“Shufu,” XiChen says, looking quietly smug, “if the purpose of your visit was to coax me out of seclusion, then perhaps it hasn't been for nothing. I would release myself of this purgatory for the sole reason of being able to watch how you deal with the newest member of our family.”

Lan Qiren stares back at him, unable to understand whether XiChen is being mean to him on purpose, or if it is accidental. He leaves this little abode quietly, though it is far from that in his mind. XiChen's words repeat themselves over and over again, like a mantra given to a slothful monk.

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

Lan Qiren did not sleep that night. For some reason, he rises before the moon has moved past the two hour mark, quietly grinding ink to write. It is peaceful around him, the night having already coaxed willing disciples to sleep. There are five stages to grief, he thinks, deciding to put his thoughts in order by writing them down. The turmoil in his head has not lessened, not even by his usually trusty method of meditation before getting into bed. 

The rules, those infallible, specific and unrelenting guides to conducting one's life are of no use to him now. Even his spiteful addition chiseled into the stone that one could see straight away upon entering the Cloud Recesses does not make him proud of himself; rather, he feels a little ashamed. But he ignores that feeling on purpose, deciding to concentrate on his original dilemma. Making sure his brush does not drip onto the pristine parchment, he focuses on each meticulous stroke, writing out the characters for 1. Denial, 2. Anger, 3. Bargaining, 4. Depression, and 5. Acceptance. 

All of these are supported by the rules.

On paper, they look easy. Harmless, even.

But in real life, the application of them, of exploring what each one means, feels like an insurmountable challenge, like standing at the foot of an unconquered mountain and wanting to be the first one to reach its peak.

Lan Qiren is a man of action, and he would like to believe that his nature will not allow him to shy away from this newest of obstacles to plague his life.

Whether he likes it or not (and he most emphatically does NOT like it!) Wei WuXian is here to stay. If he and WangJi have returned to the Cloud Recesses, it is probably because WangJi is trying to mold that lump of raw clay into something useful, something better than what he already is. Lan Qiren feels a stab of pride at that. WangJi should do it, and he is right to want to expect excellence from his partner. A partnership can only exist in perfection if the parties involved are of like minds, equal in every sense of the word. And Lan Qiren wants to be supportive in his endeavour. As an elder of the Clan, he should be.

First thing tomorrow morning, Lan Qiren will summon WangJi and talk to him. He should make him aware that Lan WangJi isn't alone - Lan Qiren is willing, however difficult it may be, to help him make an honest cultivator out of the unpolished stone. Whether or not their efforts reveal a diamond or a dud remains to be seen, neither an impossible outcome though.

With a plan of action in mind, Lan Qiren blows out the solitary candle, rubbing his tired eyes as he rises from the table and retreats once again to his bed to get some rest. 

Things always look better in the morning, he thinks, closing his eyes.

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

Not this morning.

Lan Qiren tries and fails not to glare at the two men sitting across from him, so close that it feels indecent. Must be the influence of that unprincipled rascal. Still, Lan Qiren will ignore him for the sake of improving WangJi's life.

He clears his throat loudly, gaining the satisfaction of seeing said rascal jump in his seat. WangJi narrows his eyes at his cup. Good. It wasn't a wasted action, then.

“WangJi, your dedication to your cause is commendable. I have met with you today to enforce my support and to make it clear that if we unite, we can eradicate any threat to the teachings of your ancestors. I think–”

“Meaning?” Lan WangJi straightens even further in his seat and glares (yes, glares!!) at Lan Qiren. 

There's no mistaking his hostility. 

And then?!! Wei WuXian puts a hand on his arm as if he's holding Lan WangJi back! The presumptuousness of his silly belief begs astonishing. 

“Do not interrupt. Rule number–”

“637,” the ingrate replies, smirking.

“Indeed.” Lan Qiren refuses to look at him. He continues. “Perhaps we should start with daily copying of the rules, so that they are ingrained in his mind–”

“To whom are you referring?” WangJi asks, with a flicker of confusion. 

“He's talking about me,” Wei WuXian says, leaning back on his hands in sloppy defiance.

“Sit properly!” Lan Qiren barks.

“You will not speak to him like that,” Lan WangJi states, cold and unyielding. 

Lan Qiren recoils, taken aback.

“Lan Zhan, don't,” Wei WuXian replies, his voice softer now, while making an attempt to sit up.

“Wei Ying, if the Cloud Recesses is my home, then it is yours, too. You should be comfortable here, and made to feel welcome.” 

Lan Qiren watches, shocked and drowning in disbelief. He has never, ever seen Lan WangJi look so gentle, so soft…and no! NO! He looks like–like, he's in love! Lan Qiren has only ever seen that expression once before, on the face of his brother and that time too, it only led to disaster.

He's heard the rumours, he's overheard Lan disciples talking and saying things that he couldn't believe, how the Second Master Lan has become shameless in his behaviour nowadays…but finding out in that abstract way is far, far different than seeing it right in front of his face. This cannot be happening. 

Lan Qiren pinches himself hard, hoping he will wake up and find out that it is just a terrible nightmare. 

Unfortunately, there's no waking up to be had. Instead, there's a growing horror because that rogue smiles back with a matching look. Lan Qiren can't decide what's worse; seeing his besotted nephew like this, or finding out that his feelings are very much reciprocated. He's feeling a little bit ill. 

“Got any talisman paper lying around?” that uncouth Charlatan says, leaning closer.

Oh god, he's talking to him! Well, good luck with that! Lan Qiren harrumphs and turns to face away from him. 

WangJi stands up and goes to Lan Qiren's desk, retrieves something and returns, bringing with him Lan Qiren's own inkstone. Lan Qiren, now fuming, has to endure those evil fingers touching his brush (His! Brush! That was a gift!) and writing something in his horrible script.

And then, before he can stop that Scoundrel, Lan Qiren has to watch while Wei WuXian slaps what turns out to be a talisman onto his poor lonesome candle, and then he sits back grinning like a loon, because the brightness has escalated. 

Meanwhile, Lan Qiren stares at the candle as if it is possessed. Yes, it's so much brighter…but it isn't hurting his eyes.

“Sorry if I overstepped, Lan Laoshi, but your eyes look sore and I was wondering if it was the lack of light,” Wei WuXian says, as WangJi looks at him like he's just done something incredibly wonderful.

And he has! Except…Lan Qiren wasn't expecting it!

“Wei Ying is kind.” Lan WangJi says that pointedly, as if directing it at Lan Qiren. 

“Thank you,” Lan Qiren replies automatically, because he has manners, even if he's not feeling it right now.

“Wei Ying is a good person who enjoys helping people because he wants to, not because he expects anything in return,” Lan WangJi continues, and because he hasn't sat down since returning with Lan Qiren's things, he looks all the more intimidating for it, looming over his uncle.

Lan Qiren is rather baffled.

What is going on?

Seclusion seems like a mighty fine option right now. 

He watches as Lan WangJi shoots him another disdainful glance full of disapproval before helping Wei WuXian up and guiding him away. Out of the two of them, it is only Wei WuXian who bows respectfully before they leave.

***********

After that, Lan Qiren is a hundred percent certain that the universe is conspiring against him.

Why else does he have to experience numerous situations that paint Wei WuXian in a good light?

It starts off quite innocently, with Lan Qiren waiting inside the Orchid room for his students to arrive for the morning class, and there's a debate going on outside. He has ears and they're functioning, so it's not like he's eavesdropping on purpose. Two junior disciples are walking past, and they only catch his attention because they're talking about that man.

“If Wei-Qianbei hadn't been there, I wouldn't be standing here now!” One of them says, sounding like he means it.

Qianbei, Lan Qiren scoffs in his mind. As if…

“He really pushed you out of the way?” 

“Yes! See, nobody else was close enough, and it's my fault, anyway. I should've been paying attention to where I was going, but the moonlight was so pretty and I was distracted!”

“But come on, a Wolf-Yao? The others said he screamed! Doesn't that mean he was scared?”

“Only because the thing looked like a dog! Everyone knows Wei-Qianbei isn't scared of anything except dogs, and that's only because he was attacked by them when he lived on the streets. That's totally understandable, don't you think?” He tuts as if Wei WuXian is deserving of sympathy. 

“Well, if he was scared already and he still saved you, that makes him braver than me! I don't know that I would have picked you instead of my phobia!” 

“See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. His back was hurt and it's really my fault. That's why I made him these.” 

Lan Qiren looks outside, his curiosity spiking.

“What are they? They smell…spicy!” the student is making a face at that.

“They are!! I learned how to make them from an old auntie in Caiyi town. She's also moved here from Yunmeng, and I thought, it can't be easy for someone so used to stronger flavours having to eat our bland dishes. It was the only way I could make amends.”

Their voices fade away gradually. 

If Wei WuXian doesn't like the food here, well, isn't that just another way to practice self-restraint? That's always a good thing. Lan Qiren startles as someone touches his elbow and he looks up to find thirty students blinking back at him.

Oh! They were so quiet, he hadn't even heard them enter…

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

On another occasion, Lan Qiren happens to be walking past the creche where the Lan babies are looked after if their parents are minding other duties, and his ears perk up at the mention of a particular person.

“….Wei-Gongzi. I wasn't expecting him to be so humble, but he took A-Mei right from my arms and made her laugh while I cleaned up the mess she had made.”

“He's so good with the kids! Honestly, I was a little bit scared of him. You know what they used to say about him, right?”

“Gossip is forbidden, meimei,” the senior of the two women reminds her, but that doesn't stop the younger one.

“They're presumed facts, so it's not gossipping,” she protests. “It's just the part of him eating children that made me wary. I was pleasantly surprised is all. I told him afterwards that he could come any time to help me tend the cute little rascals.”

“Oh, Lan-Zongzhu, I didn't see you there,” the senior matron says, and they both bow towards Lan Qiren. 

He startles and bows back, pretending to be engrossed in the book he was carrying. He firmly stops himself from thinking any thoughts about Wei WuXian. None at all.

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

Lan Qiren coughs once more, clearing his throat. He's reading out loud to the class but something catches in his larynx and the resulting sandpapery feel inside is annoying. No matter, he will overcome this. 

The day passes in irritation with aches and pains all over his body, and Lan Qiren resigns himself to going to bed early. When he wakes up, there's a noise outside his door so he gets up to investigate. Someone has left a cup of yellowy liquid on a tray with a heating talisman attached. There's also a note: to help with your cough.

Ah, the healers must have noticed his suffering, Lan Qiren thinks, bringing it inside. After all, ‘Diligence is the root’ is one of his favourite rules and it's nice to see it implemented. He drinks it quickly because it's strangely spicy in a medicinal way: some kind of grated root with strands, lemon juice and honey mixed into hot water. It burns his throat on the way down and at the same time, the rough strands passing the itchy skin inside provides an unexpected relief. Lan Qiren is surprised to feel better.

The healers are keeping a good eye on him, he notices when discovering another dose of the same medication at lunchtime, and once more in the evening.

Two days later, Lan Qiren is completely cured of his ailment and resumes his daily chores as usual. However, whatever he had caught was evidently contagious because several people had begun coughing around him. It is most distracting. Lan Qiren decides to help them out; it won't do, that the healers pay close attention to him just because he's part of the main family! They should treat the Clan members equally or not at all!

So he marches towards the infirmary to tell them so.

Healer Fei is grinding some kind pungent mixture together when Lan Qiren enters and they both bow to greet each other.

“Thank you for your diligence in curing my cough,” Lan Qiren says confidently. “Whatever you used helped immensely. Now, it will greatly help those disciples who have the same illness if you could administer the cure for them as well.”

Healer Fei stares at him. He has a blank look on his face.

Lan Qiren wonders if Healer Fei suffers from anything like an ear problem that he isn't aware of. Lan Qiren has been busier since XiChen went into seclusion, but to become hard of hearing seems like a mentionable affliction. Someone should have told him, right?

He repeats himself, much more slowly, in the hopes that even if Healer Fei can't hear him, he might have helped himself by learning how to lip read.

“I heard you the first time,” Healer Fei replies, looking annoyed. 

Which is, frankly, more annoying. Lan Qiren thinks that in this situation, if anyone ought to be annoyed at all, it's himself. 

“Are the ingredients rare? Hard to obtain? I am not seeing the problem here,” Lan Qiren adds. Maybe the problem is worse than he thought! Maybe it's not that Healer Fei has trouble listening, because he just cleared that up. No…what if he has already forgotten whatever he put in the magical cure? If he's got memory issues, then should he even be allowed to treat people any more? Isn't that a far more dangerous thing?

“Have you been feeling tired lately?” Lan Qiren asks him, skirting around the real question he wants to ask, which is: how is your memory?

“No.” 

That's quite curt and short, and Lan Qiren feels a bit defensive. He opens his mouth to speak, but this time, Healer Fei beats him.

“Lan-Zongzhu, my confusion in this matter stems from never having made any medicine for yourself. I am wondering if YOU are alright.”

“But, what do you mean? You can't have forgotten already! The final dose was left outside just last night!” Lan Qiren protests, anxiously concerned for the poor man.

“Qiren,” Healer Fei says firmly and with a tone, changing to the more informal name, and also twitching with agitation. “Any medicine made in the infirmary has to meet my approval before it is administered. Please rest assured that if I do not know of any such cure, then it wasn't made under this roof. Furthermore, I am concerned about you! Who goes around drinking mysterious liquids, and from what I presume, ones that were left questionably outside your residence? Why didn't you bring it to me? And perhaps a more pertinent question would be, why did you actually drink it? It could have been poisoned! Honestly, this place is fast turning into a circus!” 

“Healer Fei!” Lan Qiren shouts, simultaneously panicking because! Because! What if he's telling the truth? “What about a trainee?”

“I just told you. When I say everything needs my approval, I mean it. Making cures and medicines which actually work are matters of precision. One gram more of certain ingredients could mean the difference between life and death. And before you say anything even more ridiculous, I am stating that I trust all the doctors and nursing staff here. Not a single one would administer a “cure” without my knowledge,” Healer Fei insists, borderline angry.

“Then–then what did I drink? Who made it?” Lan Qiren feels a little faint.

Healer Fei brings him to a chair and makes him sit down. “Alright, Qiren, calm yourself. First of all, tell me what it tasted like?”

“A root, strands of it in the water, and the whole thing was hot, with lemon and honey.”

“All common ingredients…I think the one you can't name is ginger. It is excellent for removing phlegm from one's body. We don't usually use it in cooking here in the Cloud Recesses, but there are certain cuisines that require it for the buzz. And,” he adds wryly, “since you're still alive, I think it's safe to assume that it wasn't poisoned. But, Qiren, I am telling you this seriously. If you are unsure, in the slightest bit, of anything meant to go past your lips, first bring it to me.”

Lan Zhan massages the side of his head, nodding.

“If you want to find out who your mysterious wellwisher is, maybe make an announcement? Whoever it is will come forward and you will be able to put your mind at ease. Do you want to use one of the spare cots? Lie down for a bit and then deal with this tomorrow.” Healer Fei pats his shoulder encouragingly, and goes to move away.

“Healer Fei, thank you for your understanding,” Lan Qiren says quickly, still feeling as if all of this is happening to somebody else. 

“Nonsense, Qiren. These things happen, and I should be thanking you. We'll ask all those suffering from the cough to visit the infirmary three times a day and that'll be that. As for you, it can't be easy juggling everything that you do. With Zewu-Jun in seclusion, your plate must be full. Say,” he scratches his chin thoughtfully. “Why don't you ask Hanguang-Jun to help?”

“My second nephew is upset with me,” Lan Qiren admits.

“Is this to do with Wei WuXian?”

“How did you know?” Lan Qiren is extremely surprised at this.

“Oh, come on, Qiren. It's not like you've kept it a secret how you feel about him.” Healer Fei scoffs. “You're not exactly subtle.”

Lan Qiren swallows hard. “Could you, could you please explain what you mean?”

“If I may speak candidly?”

“Yes.”

“Then to be honest, your conduct towards him is rude most of the time. Everyone knows you don't like him, and frankly, I'm surprised they've stayed this long. One of my juniors said he overheard Hanguang-Jun wanting to leave only a few days after they arrived, but it was Wei WuXian who persuaded him to stay. And at the risk of earning your ire, don't you think you're in no position to drive them away? You need help, Qiren. You're no spring chicken, and I can see that you are overworking yourself. Taking on Zewu-Jun's duties, and not delegating anyone to do your own will lead to no other outcome than burnout. How have you been sleeping?”

“Not well. That was the second thing I wanted to address here. I was going to ask you for a sleep tonic.”

“I can make something,” Healer Fei agrees, going to do just that. “But, that's not getting rid of the actual problem. We're just giving it a makeover and pretending it's not what it is.”

“Old friend, what do you suggest I do?”

“Take the day off tomorrow and do some soul searching. Ask yourself why you don't like him, Wei-Gongzi, I mean. And don't be kind to yourself when you do it. It's going to be hard because you might find some things inside you that you're ashamed of, or that you don't like.” Healer Fei grabs two separate sachets of herbs and mixes them together. “Here, drink this before you go to sleep tonight. Then tomorrow morning, do what I said with a fresh, brave mind. Not everyone is good at introspection, but it is just as important as looking after your body.” He smiles kindly now. “Don't look so worried, Qiren. You have started your journey and you have time. Don't mess it up.”

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

Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, Lan Qiren sits at his desk in the morning and looks over his notes. The problem lies in feeling all the five…no, four of the five stages of grief at once. He's nowhere near acceptance yet. Part of him understands that the last one is the goal here, especially if he hopes for any kind of peace living in the Cloud Recesses. Healer Fei gave him lots to think about and he's just procrastinating by insisting on making the perfect cup of silver needle tea first.

What exactly is he grieving?

In his younger days, he remembers being excited for each day, waking up with a sense of purpose and feeling extraordinarily lucky that he got to spend hours studying, playing his favourite instrument. But as the years passed, more and more responsibility began climbing onto his back, and then because his brother chose seclusion as his best option to live out the rest of his days, Lan Qiren had to relinquish the control of his life.

Looking back now, he wonders if his grief is tied up with everything that happened to him. What has Lan Qiren actually done in his life? Other than being an exemplary teacher, famed for guiding the youth towards creating a foundation based on good moral values, what else has he accomplished? And even then, there was one student who proved to be unteachable. 

Lan Qiren grimaces.

The biggest hurdle in his mind is Wei WuXian. 

Okay, Lan Qiren didn't have the best relationship with the boy's mother, but he got on well with Wei Changze. And while he's being honest, Cangse Sanren wasn't a bad person. Mischievous? Yes. Spontaneous? Yes. Rule hating? Yes. But in spite of that, she had a good heart. She might have been a bit too handsome with a razor blade, but perhaps…perhaps Lan Qiren had invited a face free of hair by punishing her and that was her response to the punishment of writing out the rules of conduct ten times.

A person is not the same as their parents, Lan Qiren chides himself. If that were the case, then he and Qingheng-Jun would be carbon copies of their parents and so forth. 

Oh…this is uncomfortably horrible to realise: Lan Qiren had been prejudiced against Wei WuXian even before he arrived in the Cloud Recesses for the guest lectures. This is because word had already spread about Yu-Furen having to discipline the ward, Wei WuXian, who was also the Head Disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. A person who had worked hard to reach such a position should be above getting into trouble so frequently. 

Hours spent kneeling in the Ancestral Hall of the Jiangs, Lan Qiren remembers. The stories pertaining to the exact reason why Wei WuXian had to undergo such a punishment were wide and varied. However, Lan Qiren is guilty of breaking a good few rules about not judging a person's character before meeting them, and the one about listening to gossip, to name two.

He begins to grind the ink because today is already looking like it's going to be a long one. He's going to make a list of all the rules he's broken so far, and then go to WangJi because he is still the disciplinarian of the Clan, and hopefully, it will go some way towards actually apologising for his actions. 

This takes him a good hour to complete, but he's far from done. 

Thinking about Wei WuXian's time here and his conduct during the lectures is disregardable because he was only fifteen years old at the time, and boys will be boys. At the mercy of pubescent behaviour, and taking into consideration the fact that he hailed from Yunmeng Jiang, the Clan itself, much more lax in terms of disciple conduct, and what else should he expect from an institution whose Motto is “Attempt The Impossible”? 

Surely Lan Qiren is at fault here for assuming Wei WuXian would adhere to the rules of the Lan Clan?

Skipping quickly past that period, the boy had proven himself WangJi's equal in the Wen Archery contest. But then, soon afterwards came the burning of the Cloud Recesses and the destruction of Lotus Pier, both terrible atrocities. WangJi and Wei WuXian were just children really, not even in their twenties and before that, killing the Xuanwu of Slaughter, which by itself had been a considerable feat. 

Lan Qiren has learned of Wei WuXian's sacrifice, of him giving up his own golden core to his Shidi, the current Jiang-Zongzhu, Jiang WanYin. 

Unbelievable though it seems, the numerous accounts from different people make it real. That foolish boy did such a noble deed, something Lan Qiren knows he would never have considered doing himself if he were faced with such a gruesome choice. It left Wei WuXian unimaginably vulnerable, and he was forced to find another way to cultivate. But that unorthodox path, the Guidao…well, he won the war for the allies, but ultimately, did they not sacrifice him as well?

It is a matter of great regret to Lan Qiren that he did not send XiChen or go himself to the Burial Mounds to see for himself just who Wei WuXian was protecting. 

He picks up his discarded brush and writes down more rules he had broken back then. 

Even when faced with the truth, seeing all forty of those old civilians brought to Koi Tower, nobody had stopped them from being killed. People who had worked side by side with Wei WuXian, living together, eating together, surviving together, even though there was a massive target on Wei WuXian's back that was only growing bigger by the day.

And then, to see his sacrifice come to nothing, see people he cared about killed anyway despite his desperate attempts to save them, of course this would lead him to lose control over himself. Tipped over the edge by the death of his sister to boot.

But what had Lan Qiren done in response? He had punished WangJi for trying to save him, for breaking the rule: Do not consort with evil.

It turns out that WangJi was right all along. His faith in Wei WuXian had not budged an inch in spite of Lan Qiren trying his best towards that.

His Clan, both Lan Qiren and XiChen are guilty of using the Discipline Whip on WangJi. 

The brush snaps in two in his hand, and so does Lan Qiren's composure. Big fat ugly tears roll down his face as he makes himself remember his actions. He didn't stop it from happening, but oh, he was breaking hundreds of his own precious rules by then, at the mercy of his own self-righteous pride that forced him into not being able to bend. 

The tree that cannot bend in the wind will surely break.

He is utterly ashamed of himself. When had he changed so much to love his rules more than the children he raised? More than family? How could he look at himself in the mirror and not see the failure of a man? 

Great racking sobs hurt his back as he remembers what WangJi had endured, not only the pain of his body, and it was a true miracle that he survived that punishment at all, but also, XiChen had told him about the animalistic cry that had escaped from him upon hearing about Wei WuXian's unfortunate demise.

The Lan men are cursed to love only once, and Lan Qiren has seen it for himself, the pure, unadulterated devotion that WangJi holds for Wei WuXian. How had he kept going even after suffering that kind of loss?

Then another thought occurs to him. Back then, as soon as WangJi could walk unaided, he made sure to take on every night hunt that he found out about. Was that out of altruism…or did he–was he looking for a solution to end his pain? At the time, there was no possibility of Wei WuXian returning. Lan WangJi was in mourning and with no end in sight…had he entertained the possibility of joining his lost love?

That thought is impossibly hard to reconcile with himself. 

Instead of helping his children as he should have, Lan Qiren had done the total opposite by adding to the pain and trauma that WangJi was already suffering with.

XiChen and others have explained in great detail, how Meng Yao was responsible for almost everything Lan Qiren and the rest of the Cultivation World had blamed Wei WuXian for, a convenient scapegoat for the masterminded criminal hiding behind the Jin money and prestige and that stupid hat. Wei WuXian had actually done nothing wrong except accidentally being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Lan Qiren stands up and looks around for some tools, but there are none in his room. The immediate solution is to go and find some. He hopes he will not meet anyone but if he does, then he will face up to them and what he needs to do. He has put himself in this situation and only he can bring himself out of it.

His steps are deliberate and swift as he walks along the path to the building where all manner of tools are stored. This is better because he will be able to choose from a range of them. Once inside, he selects a small hammer and a sharp chisel, examining the tip and then he's satisfied that it will suffice. 

Then Lan Qiren makes his way towards the Wall of Rules.

He stares up at it, feeling ashamed. He was a different man when he had ordered the last rule to be carved into its surface, just as hard and as unyielding as this rock. It is time for penance. It is time to make a change towards something better.

Lan Qiren raises both hands and begins to chisel off that last rule with all his might: Do Not Associate With Wei WuXian. 

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

When he returns to his rooms, Lan Qiren sits down at his desk and writes and writes, ignoring the cramp in his hand. He takes a break when his candle splutters into life, looking around the room in a dazed state because he has no idea when it got too dark to see. He flexes his hands impatiently, wanting to get on with writing down all the rules he ignored, bent to suit his needs, and broke just to fit in with his own agenda, along with all of his faults. A bitter smile ghosts over his lips when he sees how many pages he has filled out - at this rate, he may as well go into seclusion anyway, because copying out this many rules however many times WangJi thinks he should will probably take him the rest of his life.

But nonetheless, Lan Qiren is adamantly sure that he must. Perhaps it isn't even close to properly atoning for his crimes…but it is a start. The journey of a thousand steps begins with just one, he reminds himself. 

This is his.

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

The following morning, Lan Qiren stands up from his desk and washes his face. Too many tears have left splotches on his cheeks and he thinks he shouldn't subject anyone to that sight. He then collects the pages written yesterday and through most of the night, and makes a tidy bundle of them. He is about to do the hardest thing he's ever had to do…but now he realises that he's already done it.

Going to see WangJi and Wei WuXian isn't going to be hard in comparison because he has already faced himself. After that, each breath he takes just becomes easier because in his heart of hearts, he knows what he is going to do has been a long time coming. Both XiChen and Healer Fei warned him of it, but they also reminded him that it isn't too late.

Lan Qiren turns towards the door and is just about to leave when there's a knock. He opens it and finds Wei WuXian standing in front of Lan WangJi, and they're holding hands. Wei WuXian bows quickly, dropping their hold on each other, and WangJi grimaces before hiding his feelings.

Lan Qiren bows back, deeper than normal. 

“I was just coming to see you,” he says, far more politely than he usually speaks to them.

He stops WangJi from preparing the tea and does it himself. While the water comes to a boil, Lan Qiren presents WangJi with the papers he's been working on.

“I trust you will not be biased when it comes to assigning a suitable punishment,” Lan Qiren says. 

Then, he throws back his robes and kneels on the ground, kowtowing fully by pressing his forehead to the ground.

“I do not ask for your forgiveness because I am aware that my mistakes are not so easily dismissed. But please know that I am now aware of how much I failed you.” He sits up still kneeling and makes sure he maintains eye contact with both of the young men in front of him. “I failed both of you, not just WangJi. And I deeply regret my actions.”

It is Wei WuXian who jumps out of his seat to help Lan Qiren up, but Lan WangJi stops him with a word. 

“Wait.”

“But Lan Zhan! He can't bow to us! That's bad!” Wei WuXian protests furiously, fists clenched at his sides. 

“Wait,” Lan WangJi repeats himself, though this time, his tone is gentler, softer.

But all of that disappears as soon as he begins reading. Lan Qiren keeps his gaze on his folded hands resting in his lap and he tells himself, this is good. WangJi is the only one capable of maintaining an unbiased view and being able to exact a punishment fitting the crimes. He feels more than sees the agitation of Wei WuXian, fidgeting in his seat. More than once, the younger man tries to interrupt Lan WangJi's perusal of the list, and each time he is silenced by a look.

Finally, Lan WangJi looks up and his cold, unflinching stare would have turned a lesser man into a puddle of goo. But Lan Qiren is not a lesser man.

His back started hurting an hour ago, and it's excruciating to maintain this posture but he endures, knowing it is nothing compared to what these two have endured.

Before WangJi can open his mouth, Wei WuXian tells him firmly, “Lan Zhan, you better be kind or no everyday tonight.”

Lan Qiren has no idea what that means but it's enough to have WangJi pout. Lan Qiren had forgotten he could do that. It is a powerful weapon by itself, and clearly, Wei WuXian is of the same opinion because he wails, “Lan Zhan! No! You can't do that!” And slaps a hand over his eyes, refusing to look at him.

Lan Qiren smiles in spite of himself. 

WangJi, smugly satisfied that he has won, turns to face Lan Qiren. Lan Qiren stiffens, the smile leaving his face. It is not right that he shares in their happiness when it is a private thing.

“What led to this change?” Lan WangJi demands, his former hardness creeping into his expression. 

“I was made aware of my unfounded prejudice. I went to see Healer Fei about the medicine left outside my door, and after he said he knew nothing about it, he lectured me about the dangers of drinking suspicious concoctions. He saw that I looked tired and he suggested I mend my fences. He knew I disliked Wei WuXian and he perhaps also knew I had no reason to, not really. I had fallen into a rut in my head, and presumed things which weren't true. Wei WuXian, for that, I am truly sorry.” Lan Qiren goes to bow down again, but this time Wei WuXian is faster at scooting out of Lan WangJi's grasp and bending to help Lan Qiren up.

“That's enough of that!” Wei WuXian insists. 

It is a solid relief to be able to stand. Lan Qiren winces, discreetly massaging his hips and his back.

“Come on,” Wei WuXian says, kindly helping him to sit down in his chair. “And um, well, we need to come clean. Actually, it's me, I need to confess something, Lan Laoshi. Lan Zhan helped me find what I needed but it was my idea, and I'll accept any punishment you want to–”

“Wei Ying!” Lan WangJi looks very upset at that. 

“Lan Zhan! Look how worried he was! I didn't think too much beyond wanting to help him get rid of that awful cough, but I ended up causing you distress instead. I am terribly sorry, Lan Laoshi.” Wei WuXian bows to him.

“Am I to believe you made that awful medicine?” Lan Qiren demands, shocked once again.

“Er…yeah?” Wei WuXian rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry, Laoshi.”

The silence deepens.

“I am no longer your teacher,” Lan Qiren replies slowly, thinking it through. “But if you would like to, perhaps you may also call me Shufu.” Lan Qiren sees WangJi giving him an approving nod, and he lets himself look at Wei WuXian. Hopefully. 

Nope! Too much! That boy's smile has always been too bright, like looking directly at the sun. His eyes are kind of wet too. That won't do!

“Wei WuXian, there is to be no punishment. Your cure worked, and if anything, I would ask for a note or something to warn me that it is not intended to cause my demise. WangJi, name your punishment. I would like to complete it as soon as possible.” Lan Qiren feels breathless. 

“It is to copy out the rules,” WangJi replies with his back straight. “Ten times is enough, as sincere attempts are being made to change one's behaviour.”

“Ten times?” Wei WuXian screeches like a cat caught out in the rain.

“Trust me, that's fair,” WangJi replies, biting back a smile. “Shufu will learn from his mistakes.”

“Yes, I will. The reminder of the rules will ensure I do not repeat the offenses.” Lan Qiren tilts his head in acknowledgement of the verdict. “There was another reason I was coming to see you both,” he adds. 

“Mn?”

Even Wei WuXian looks curious. 

“If it is possible, I would like to ask for some help. Currently, I am tending to my own teaching duties, but I am also keeping an eye on XiChen's tasks. Healer Fei suggested I ask you both to assist me with some of the numerous things to be done.” They can say no, and Lan Qiren is well aware of that.

WangJi looks conflicted but it's Wei WuXian who pipes up, “Sure, Lao–I mean, Shufu. When do you want us?”

“How about tomorrow afternoon? Two or three times a week should be fine so we can get on top of the correspondence.”

“Very well, we'll be here.” 

Lan Qiren watches them bow to him, the two of them perfectly in sync, and then they leave.

The butterfly wings of something soft and kinder opens up inside his chest, and Lan Qiren feels it grow warm, spreading across his ribs. Peace has arrived, it seems, wearing a new face.

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

Lan Qiren watches as the brush flies across the page, the script barely legible but extremely fast because apparently, Wei WuXian is inspired. Lan Qiren looks away when the young man straight up begins chewing on the end of the wooden handle, lost in thought. Then suddenly, he jumps up and takes the bits and pieces of papers to Lan WangJi, and they begin whispering between themselves quietly as Lan Qiren tries not to listen. A shadow falls over his stack of letters and makes him look up.

“Shufu, Lan Zhan said this is fine, but look! If you write your entries in the book here, expenditures in this column and income in this, then you won't need two books, plus it'll make seeing the balance so much easier!” Wei WuXian enthuses, rolling back and forth on his toes.

“It will also save time,” WangJi adds, from where he's sitting. 

“But the elders–”

“Do they write the books? No! So they don't get a say! Honestly, if you have to keep voting about stuff that truly no one really cares about, you'll never get anything done!” Wei WuXian giggles self consciously, as if only realising now what he said.

“Perhaps Shufu can implement the new system in a trial period.” WangJi puts forward his opinion, and well, it's not like he's going to disagree with his husband. 

“Shufu doesn't actually have to mention it…unless somebody else brings it up, right?” Wei WuXian looks between the two of them.

Lan Qiren shares the same glance and he can tell what Lan WangJi is thinking: to basically let sleeping dogs lie. Why invite a problem? He's got enough things to do.

“A trial period…”

“Mn.”

“Of course. If it doesn't work, whoever opposes it can take over,” Lan Qiren agrees, feeling much relieved. 

“Exactly!” Wei WuXian flails in his excitement and accidentally knocks over the pile of letters carefully sorted into those that are replied to, and those needing an answer. Oh, not any more.

But Lan Qiren finds that he is not overly concerned. 

Perhaps there was a time when he would have barked out something horrible, but today, his mood and changing viewpoint of Wei WuXian makes him so much more tolerant of him. He waves off the further misguided attempts to help, picking up the letters himself. 

“What's this?” Wei WuXian bounces over to WangJi, sounding amused. He reads aloud: “Greetings, Lan-Zongzhu. I trust things are well with you and your family now that the evil Meng Yao's corruption and crimes have been brought to light. Since we are facing times of peace and prosperity, on that note, the Fu Clan are wondering if you have given our previous correspondence further consideration. Namely, a marriage proposal between our Clans, my daughter Fu Meihua to Lan WangJi, of the Lan Clan. 

“May I also take this opportunity to extol the virtues of my daughter, who is beautiful to look at and furthermore, has mastered two of the six arts, that of calligraphy and ritual. She is an avid learner and would easily acquire the other four in order to be a suitable match to the Second heir. Please let us know as soon as possible so we can start the wedding preparations.” Wei WuXian bites his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud.

Lan Qiren knows why; this is one of the letters he has replied to.

“Wait! Lan Zhan, don't look like that! I'll laugh too hard and I won't be able to finish it, because Shufu has already told him where to get off! I can't believe it!” He shakes his head and continues, throwing the odd disbelieving glance towards Lan Qiren. “Shufu writes back, “Fu-Zongzhu, Let me get straight to the point, as I already did in the previous reply which I am sure you received because I sent it with a trusted messenger who assured me of the fact. Let me ask you this: if your daughter is so proficient in calligraphy, can she invent in less than thirty seconds, a talisman that increases the light from a single candle? If not, please do not waste my valuable time. Also, Lan WangJi is already married, so the above is rendered moot. Sincerely, Lan Qiren.” What a burn!” Wei WuXian crows, collapsing into a mirth-filled puddle next to Lan WangJi, who looks upon him with fond affection, a gentle smile on his face.

Then he looks up at Lan Qiren, his golden gaze narrowing infinitely towards the pile of letters on his desk.

“Shufu, is all of that correspondence related to the same topic?” He looks beyond annoyed.

“Yes. Unfortunately.” Lan Qiren is reluctant to admit it because it will hurt them. “Cut sleeve marriages are rare, mostly because people tend not to want to invite scorn or worse. It is for that reason that many so inclined do not publicise their preference. The main families still recognise the union between the same gender persons, but the smaller the Clan, the less they are tolerant. It seems intelligence is harder to come by, the further out you go.”

Lan Qiren doesn't realise what he's said until Wei WuXian giggles. He allows a small smile, since it's the truth.

Wei WuXian sits up suddenly. “But that means the letters won't stop. People are still of the opinion that you are available,” he says, sounding sad.

“Wei Ying.” Lan WangJi lifts a hand up to cradle his cheek, stroking it under his eye. “I am not. I belong to Wei Ying, just like Wei Ying is mine.”

Lan Qiren shivers, looking away. Whatever he just saw wasn't for everyone. It was deeply private. The way they're gazing at each other, as if nothing else exists…it makes him blush.

But…what if it was? For everyone?

What if they made it public in such a way as to leave no doubt in anyone's mind that Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian are together? Then all of these ridiculous letters would end, leaving so much more time to maybe sit in his garden and enjoy the sunshine, for a change.

“Both of you should get married,” Lan Qiren says, inspired.

He is ignored. 

“I said,” he says louder, “both of you should get married.” 

Nothing.

Their faces are getting closer, though. Lan Qiren better do something, and fast before the situation escalates!

“I SAID, WHY DON'T YOU GET MARRIED?” Lan Qiren shouts, just before they start sucking on each other's faces.

Thank goodness, they're so shocked by that, they turn to face him. 

“We're already married,” the supposed genius says. Then he pushes the desk out of the way and climbs into WangJi's lap.

As if that's better.

Lan Qiren pinches the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “YOU know that. I know that. The Lan Clan knows that! But all these people–” he slaps the thick pile of letters, “do not know that. If we have a grand wedding, inviting the main Clans, that ought to do it.”

“My love, sweetheart, what do you think?” Wei WuXian cups Lan WangJi's face and stares deeply into his eyes.

The answer is not forthcoming. Lan Qiren looks anywhere except at them.

Finally, after some questionable noises, WangJi says, “I think what Wei Ying thinks.”

As if that solves the problem. Lan Qiren does his level best not to roll his eyes.

Wei WuXian giggles, diving in for another kiss. “You're so cute, Lan Zhan!” He pinches those squishable cheeks, smiling as if he's the happiest man on the planet.

“Wei Ying is cuter,” Lan Qiren hears the other grown man say. 

“Nu-uh, Lan Zhan is!” 

“No. Wei Ying.”

“I disagree, because–”

“I AM GOING TO CONSULT WITH THE MATCHMAKER AND FIND A DATE.” Lan Qiren yells, standing up. He might need to throw up outside. These two are sickeningly in love, and apparently, do not care about anything else. Propriety be damned!

“Lan Zhan, don't worry,” Lan Qiren hears the Villain say as he leaves, “we can just run away. What's he gonna do? He's the one who needs us!” 

That sounds far too correct for Lan Qiren's liking…

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

When Lan Qiren comes back, he waits outside his own home because, if those two are shameless enough to kiss in his presence, then the obvious fear must be where the line is drawn on what they won't do (in HIS house). He hasn't been gone longer than a half sichen, so hopefully they haven't been too wild in there.

He can hear Wei WuXian reading out loud again, and since he knows what's next, he waits.

“I didn't know Yao-Zongzhu had a daughter,” Wei WuXian continues. “He's quite the pushy dad though. Listen to this, Lan Zhan! “Greetings, Lan-Zongzhu. As you know, time is passing quickly and so is the window of opportunity. Our children aren't getting any younger, so before it's too late, I would like to put my daughter forward for your consideration as a suitable wife for your second nephew, Hanguang-Jun. I have managed to convince her that the stigma of his being Zewu-Jun's brother can be overlooked, and I'm sure you know what I mean by that!” What a hypocrite!” Wei WuXian snorts, full of amusement. “As if he wasn't licking the hems of Meng Yao's golden robes when he was alive! Anyway, it gets worse. “My daughter would love to live in the Cloud Recesses, and she believes the climate will suit her skin condition. We've tried all sorts of cures, but it's not like she can grow her arm back.” What? Oh, my! Anyway, to continue, “Although in this matter, I believe there is a Cold Pond in the Cloud Recesses, the waters of that sacred place coming highly recommended. My daughter's mother and I hope the chilly climate will soothe my daughter's temperament and calm the furious fits she sometimes suffers with. As you can imagine, all of this complicates and interferes with her studies, so while she hasn't been able to concentrate on any of the arts, we are full of hope that the situation will be remedied soon after her marriage. Looking forward to hearing back from you, Yao-Zongzhu.” Oh my God!! Lan Zhan!! As far as marriage proposals go, well, that's certainly tempting! Ow! Does your uncle know you're a biter??”

There's a few moments of silence and Lan Qiren is thinking about the pros and cons of going in (to HIS own house!!) when Wei WuXian carries on.

“So, your uncle wrote back.” Wei WuXian laughs. “Yao-Zongzhu, I do not wish to waste your time. Lan WangJi, Hanguang-Jun, Lan Er-Gongzi, and so that there are NO misunderstandings, let me be absolutely clear, we are talking about my second nephew, who is already married, and quite happily, the evidence of which I must suffer every night. As for your daughter, perhaps you are barking up the wrong tree. Marriage does not solve all problems, contrary to what we might believe. Have you considered approaching a physician rather than a candidate for marriage? I feel like a doctor will provide a better solution than whatever poor soul marries into your family. Please do not contact me about this matter again. Ever. Most sincerely, Lan Qiren.” Lan Zhan…are we really that loud?”

Okay, that's enough. 

Lan Qiren makes a lot of noise going inside (HIS own bloody house) and swiftly reaches his desk, without looking anywhere else. The sound of fabric rustling suspiciously proves him right, and for the first time, Lan Qiren can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. (He still gives them a good five minutes more) Lan Qiren looks up.

“The wedding day is set. Two weeks from now.”

Wei WuXian bites his lip, reaching over to grab Lan WangJi's hand.

Do. They. Have. To. Keep. Touching? All the time??

“What?” Lan Qiren looks outside hoping for mercy, but no, the day is nowhere near its end. It's early evening at best.

“Well, when you say big wedding, how big do you mean?” Wei WuXian asks, uncertain, but looking like he's going to fight Lan Qiren every step of the way. 

Lan Qiren narrows his eyes at both the unruly miscreants who have indirectly put him in this position. “Wei WuXian, look at this.” He puts the pile of unanswered and answered letters on top of each other. “There are at least a hundred and fifty questions pertaining to the marital status of Lan WangJi here. This is just today's mail. Daily, this quantity is repeated because everyone and his mother wants to win his heart. Some of these are repeat offenders using the lame excuse of wondering “if my letter got lost” idiocy. If I am to get any peace at all, then I am not above begging both of you to please, have some compassion for this old man. A big wedding is the only way to make them see, because although they are literate, reading comprehension seems to be beyond them, rendering the first a moot point. Is it really too much to ask you to suffer through a banquet, smile for a few hours and then leave after accepting the well-wishes of these simpletons?”

He glares at them, internally grateful because they've started to look contrite.

But then…that Rapscallion grins.

The hairs on the back of Lan Qiren's neck rise, his skin prickling in a forewarning. 

“Okay, so the actual wedding? Over in half an hour. That part I don't mind at all.” Wei WuXian looks over to Lan WangJi for his approval, and starts a finger count.

“Mn. Wei Ying should count one hour, in case of possible delays.” 

Why did WangJi's breath hitch–and why does Wei WuXian look guilty all of a sudden, swallowing with difficulty and then, why is he winking?

Lan Qiren glances between both of them, unsure whatever the secret language they're using means.

“I'll give you forty-five minutes, Sweetheart. I'm sure you can be fast!” He wiggles his eyebrows at the other man.

WangJi's ears change colour rapidly. He coughs, glancing at Lan Qiren. 

“AT CHANGING CLOTHES!” Wei WuXian exclaims, going all red. He quickly moves on. “Tea ceremony won't take long, twenty minutes tops.”

“Twenty minutes? Impossible.” Lan Qiren interjects insistently. This is his forte after all, tea making. “Five minutes for the water to reach the optimum temperature, a further three minutes for steeping, straining and waiting for it to cool, and then drinking it, another ten minutes.”

Wei WuXian shrugs. “So I was out by two minutes, so what?”

“That tea will be made for myself and XiChen.”

“Yeah.”

“Mn.”

“So what about your side of the family?”

Lan Qiren is not at all expecting the lava-hot scorching fiery glare aimed in his direction as a result, and from his own nephew, no less! 

“Um, Shufu, you ARE my family.” 

Wei WuXian, like a lost little kitten, has found a way to burrow into his heart, mangled though it is. Lan Qiren is too overcome to even stop them when Lan WangJi pulls Wei WuXian into his lap again, taking a break from directing murderous killing-intent laden glares at his uncle.

Lan Qiren is reduced to having to drink his tea just to get past the horrible lump in his throat. 

“I am,” he says, after several failed attempts to make his voice sound normal. “But is there no one from Lotus Pier that you wish to invite? Jiang-Zongzhu was once your Shidi. And if we're making a loud statement to the Cultivation World as a whole about supporting your marriage, don't you think he'll feel left out?”

“I do not want that poor example of a human being to attend our wedding.” Lan WangJi looks and sounds bitter. If he's not careful, that floorboard is going to start smoking, any second now…

“Ah, Shufu…things are still complicated between us. I haven't seen him since Guanyin temple. He hasn't reached out. And to be honest, I have no idea what will happen if we meet again.” Wei WuXian looks terribly vulnerable. 

This is the first time that Lan Qiren has seen him look like this. He doesn't like it.

“We can make sure you do not have to interact with him, if you don't want to,” he promises, already trying to figure out the logistics of getting a few Lan disciples and tasking them with the sole purpose of shadowing the angry young man at all times. Lan Qiren will have to make sure Lan JingYi isn't one of them, since the young man is a walking diplomatic incident waiting to happen. Also, knowing him, he will be the first to volunteer. 

“And how is Shufu going to do that, exactly?” Lan WangJi asks him, turning up the heat in his angry scowl from merely burning to immediate incineration.

“Lan Zhan…” 

That is Wei WuXian's futile attempt to calm him.

“I will assign four disciples with this duty. They will make sure of it.” Lan Qiren thanks his lucky stars for his own foresight.

“Six. And not Lan JingYi,” WangJi replies, lessening his death glare. Slightly. 

“Alright. Doable.”

“Okay, where was I?” Wei WuXian taps the side of his nose, contemplatively. 

“Forty-five minutes plus twenty minutes, plus another twenty if Jiang WanYin will agree to taking part in the tea ceremony. Good luck with trying to stop any interaction there.” WangJi says snidily to Lan Qiren on the last bit. 

One problem at a time, Lan Qiren thinks wearily, a headache brewing at all of the organisation this event is going to take. But! It is going to be worth it! Think of all the time that will be saved in stupid correspondence! “You say he hasn't reached out. Then a wedding invitation from you can be the first step. If reconciliation is what you desire, then someone must put aside their pride and take the initiative.” 

“Right, right,” Wei WuXian kicks his feet which are hanging off WangJi's lap, fully supported by his husband's arm around his back. “That makes eighty five minutes. Then, the main banquet. They usually take hours, and one is my limit.”

“Mn. Enough time to eat. Then we leave,” WangJi replies, as if Lan Qiren has no say in the matter.

“You're right, my love!” Wei WuXian gleefully counts on his fingers, grinning at Lan Qiren. “I make that just under two and a half hours! Deal?”

“Three and we shake on it.” Lan Qiren wills himself to be firm. He can't let these whippersnappers get the best of him!

“Two hours, then. Shufu, if you can increase, we will decrease. Your choice as it stands, is two and a half, or two. Pick one.” 

Damn that icy exterior!

“Fine. Two and a half it is.” Lan Qiren resists the very real urge to cry into his cup of tea. “Deal.”

And then if that wasn't bad enough, he has to watch those two swallow each other's tongues to celebrate. 

Life truly isn't fair….

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

Lan Qiren has discovered an important development. Well, two important things but since they're both related to The Wedding Event, it counts as one.

The first one is that WangJi is dead opposed to helping with the organisation. That, by itself, is fine! It's normal, even, to have one of the two from a prospective couple be less than enthusiastic about the whole thing. But! WangJi is openly antagonistic, actively unhelpful and doing it in such a way that he cannot be accused of being rude. Furthermore, he is a huge hindrance! He might be in his thirties but there's a Tantrum Toddler trapped inside him.

The second thing is, Wei WuXian balances out WangJi's uncooperative side by being the most useful in this preparation process.

He's chaotically organised, able to produce the exact information Lan Qiren needs at any time, from the messy state of his work table. He's also enthusiastic, using what they're doing as a learning curve and asking pertinent question after question. He thinks about each one of the things they've got to figure out, and then he presents solutions, and they're all good ones! 

The only problem with him is that he gets easily distracted, and WangJi is the number one culprit in preventing any kind of work to be done. So the obvious solution is to split them up, right?

Easier said than done!

WangJi finds a way to complete whatever tasks he's been assigned ELSEWHERE faster, so that he can come and entice his husband away from whatever Lan Qiren expects him to finish. More than once, he's unfortunately caught WangJi with his tongue down Wei WuXian's throat, a necklace of hickies staring him in the face.

Lan Qiren finally manages to outsmart WangJi by changing location: they're with XiChen now, discussing the guest list. There's only one day to go, and they still have a bunch of stuff to do. Thankfully, Wei WuXian hasn't caught onto Lan Qiren's spectacular strategy yet, so it's just the three of them. And it seems to be helping XiChen take his mind off his woes, because he has so far provided excellent tips on who should sit where to avoid another Sunshot-Campaign-like situation from arising. 

“I'm delighted my advice is working out for you, Shufu,” XiChen says, smiling almost like he used to. He means it sincerely, and he's not at all smug about it. He lets his eyes flicker towards Wei WuXian to emphasise his point, because he was the one who suggested Lan Qiren try a different approach to dealing with Wei WuXian living in the Cloud Recesses. Healer Fei might have nurtured the idea, but it was XiChen who planted the seed.

Lan Qiren refuses to answer. It's a toss up whether or not his situation prior to spending so much time with WangJi and Wei WuXian was less painful to witness than now. Not a day goes by that Lan Qiren isn't wondering about a way to wash his eyes out after what they've been subjected to, and he's still searching for a permanent solution. 

“Zewu-Jun, I hope you will attend tomorrow? It will be nice, and perhaps a breath of fresh air might be just the thing you need,” Wei WuXian coaxes him.

“Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. My father missed so many important milestones in mine and WangJi's life … and I wished things had been different. My Didi, actually, both of my Didis are getting married, and I want to be there. For both of you.” XiChen's eyes are wet, and he doesn't bother hiding his feelings. “Perhaps the solution to grief is distraction,” he adds.

“Short term, yes. Long term is something else. The issues which hurt us are alright if we temporarily put them out of sight so that we can function daily, but it's at the risk of giving it the power to jump-scare you at the worst times.” 

“Indeed,” XiChen agrees, a melancholy permeating his words. “But let us speak of happier things now. A wedding just hours away means that we should be in a celebratory mood.”

They easily let him change the subject so obviously; if he's not ready to talk, then time is the best gift.

“Ah, XiChen-Ge, I have the best news!”

“Tell me, Didi.”

“Shufu, our Shufu, this one!” Wei Ying points at him with finger guns. “He's going to allow Emperor's Smile inside the Cloud Recesses tomorrow! Isn't that great?” Wei WuXian's enthusiasm is contagious, bringing smiles to the other two men.

“It's been known to happen,” XiChen informs him. “Traditionally, weddings held in the Cloud Recesses were allowed to celebrate with social customs that were commonly adopted in layman civilian circles. I am sure you will appreciate it the most, Didi.”

There's a knock on the door and they see it is Lan WangJi, when he enters. He greets his Shufu and his Xiongzhang, but it is clear that his eyes are magnetised to wherever Wei WuXian is. Once he is found, WangJi does not deem anything else worth his attention or time.

“It is dinnertime. I have come to fetch my husband.” 

“Short and to the point as always,” XiChen laughs softly, giving his approval for them to leave.

But just as they get near the door, Lan Qiren remembers something important. “Wait a minute!” He gasps, fully turning his body to face them. “You know you must separate tonight! You cannot be together on the night of your wedding!”

“I promised Wei Ying he would be able to eat something spicier than our regular meals to celebrate, so we are going to Caiyi town to his favourite restaurant.” WangJi says that with an air of finality. 

“I see,” Lan Qiren says, thinking that's a reasonable thing to do. But then! He knows something’s up when they hurry out of the door. “What about afterwards though? Do not go back to the Jingshi together!” He hollers behind them.

“Shufu, no shouting,” XiChen reminds him, placing a calming hand on his arm to stop him chasing after them.

“I'll write out my own rules,” Lan Qiren replies snippily, deeply regretful. Not for shouting but because he knows both of the grooms are utterly shameless and will disregard everything he just told them. 

“Shufu, we should be grateful that they're cooperating at all with your plan in the first place. Tell me, what do you think of Wei WuXian now that you're getting to know him better?” XiChen pours more tea for his uncle and fetches the jar of sweet biscuits that A-Ying had slipped him, when they first arrived today.

Lan Qiren eyes them appreciatively, sipping from his cup. No one can make tea like XiChen can. He's missed this. Just sitting and talking together. This is the young man he's helped to shape into who he is today. Of course they share some common ground. 

“I apologised to both of them,” he says quietly, calmer now that the source of his agitation isn't visible. “In my hurry to do the right thing, I made terrible mistakes. With dire consequences. Lesser men would have refused to speak to me. They not only forgave me, but I am glad that they are willing to spend time with someone who actively opposed them in the past.” He feels lighter by the admission alone.

“Shufu, may I be so bold as to mention that whatever you are doing, it is good for you, too. And I can see how A-Ying is good for WangJi. The opposite is also true but I have less experience with Wei WuXian than with WangJi. Of how to judge fairly in what they were like before and after they got together. WangJi actually smiled just now. I had no idea he knew how to.” XiChen's lips turn up unconsciously. 

Lan Qiren grimaces. “He wasn't smiling at YOU. In case you hadn't noticed, no one else exists for him in a room if Wei WuXian is there.”

“I know, Shufu,” XiChen hides his grin, on purpose this time.

“I'm shocked at how good Wei WuXian is with administrative tasks,” Lan Qiren says, out of the blue.

“Administration?” XiChen asks, nonplussed.

“Yes, indeed. His mind is one of a rare kind. He's constantly thinking up ways to improve things. Did you know, just a few weeks ago, he reshaped how we write the accounts? It's such a simple idea, and I'm left wondering why I hadn't thought of it myself. Alright, the Elders don't know, but in this instance, I will defer to that hooligan when he says they won't object because then I can hand over the whole job to their capable, wise hands. He has a way out of every single problem.” Lan Qiren shakes his head disbelievingly. “Why on earth did Jiang WanYin let him go? The boy is an asset to any Clan, outstanding in every way!”

“It's not like he had a choice,” XiChen reminds him. “In Wei WuXian's first life, he pretty much did what he wanted, and I doubt even he planned to live in the Burial Mounds at all. Circumstances, coupled with his deeply rooted sense of integrity and justice led him to play into the machinations of others who had hidden motivations.”

“But unlike them, he doesn't have a bad bone in his body. XiChen, when I tell you, it has taken me listening and looking with an open heart to see it, and I am thoroughly ashamed of myself. WangJi is right to remind me of my mistakes every day.” 

XiChen pushes the plate of biscuits towards him. “Shufu, true forgiveness starts from within. I am also learning how to do that. It is difficult; nobody outside ourselves can understand this. But we shouldn't give up.”

“Hm. Let us savour this one night of peace. Tomorrow is going to be enough of a circus as it is.”

“Indeed.” 

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

Wei Ying wakes up sleepy and content, the familiar ache in the lower part of his body making a slow smile spread across his face. The same face that is being kissed sweetly, savouringly with deliberation, lips pressed against his eyelids and then travelling down to nuzzle at his cheeks even as the arms around him tighten lovingly. Lan Zhan is so thorough sometimes that Wei Ying’s toes curl inadvertently every time he thinks about it. Lan Zhan’s kisses are always deeply emotional. Not one of his actions around Wei Ying are careless or offhand, nothing casual about the way he is, and Wei Ying is fully aware that his husband isn't like that with anyone else.

“Good morning, my Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying says, opening his eyes to see the naked adoration brimming, overflowing from earnest golden eyes full of love.

“Good morning, my Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying shivers, his natural reaction to that lovely deep voice. “You know, it's actually a good thing that you don't talk a lot.”

“Mn?” Lan Zhan bends his head to kiss at his throat, under his ear where he can make Wei Ying moan. Learning all of the places on his husband's body that are sensitive is a challenge he's looking forward to.

“I just mean, ah, that if you spoke more often, I'd have to, ah, carry a change of clothes all the time.”

Lan Zhan bites down on a delectable collarbone, not too hard but just enough to produce his favourite sound. Wei Ying can be compared to WangJi, his guqin, in that he can be played like an instrument. The sounds he makes, most of them unconsciously, pulled from the depths of his soul, are music to Lan Zhan's discerning ears, unlike any other. 

“Today is our wedding day,” Wei Ying gasps as Lan Zhan’s hands caress his ribs, moving lower so that his thumbs rest on his bare hips. 

“Mn.” He sounds happy, approving.

Wei Ying can feel Lan Zhan’s lips smiling, curving against the soft tender skin on his stomach as he shifts down. 

“I think we should celebrate, ah, properly–”

“Is that not what we are doing?” Lan Zhan looks up, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief. 

“Yes, but–”

“If Wei Ying can talk, then I need to do better,” he says, with determination. 

There's no more talking after that…

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

Jiang Cheng arrives at the Ivory Pillars gate of the Cloud Recesses with a retinue of fifty young purple-robed disciples behind him. They're timidly quiet but excited, and really, he can't blame them. That's not stopping how annoyed he is.

When the invitation arrived, by messenger, so he couldn't even lie and save face by claiming it got lost in the post, he was filled with trepidation. Even he can't say why the white and gold envelope made him angry, the swirling blue clouds stoking his fury like nothing else. Ripping it open gave him a perverse satisfaction, to ruin something so perfect, so terribly, beyond repair. “Take that, stupid Lans,” he thought, opening the folded paper while the young boy delivering it stood in front of him trembling.

A wedding.

Between Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi. 

He shouldn't be surprised. 

They've been together ever since Wei WuXian came back, and the apparent talk on the grapevine is that Lan WangJi has been holding a candle for him ever since they were teenagers. Even when they arrived at Lotus Pier after the second siege of the Burial Mounds, they had been shameless. 

Jiang Cheng knows he shouldn't have followed them, but the tiny green-eyed monster living in his heart wouldn't let him stay behind. Pushing him to go and see why they were so obsessed with each other, why they had to hug for so long, clinging to each other like they were covered in honey. He wanted to cringe with how obvious they were, until he realised that something was missing. With faces full of love towards each other, it was obvious to others…but not to those two dimwits. He also wanted to shout gleefully that Wei WuXian was an idiot if he couldn't see how much Lan WangJi, the peerless Hanguang-Jun, Second Jade of Gusu, loved him.

Yes, he was sneering internally. 

It also made him jealous. The tiny green-eyed monster was livid, not because Jiang Cheng was in love with Wei WuXian, but because right in front of his eyes, Lan WangJi was stealing his brother away from him. Somehow, Wei WuXian had found someone to be with, someone who understood him so completely that they could have been two parts of a circle. Immeasurably joined together as one.

That shouldn't be allowed to happen. 

Wei WuXian belonged to Lotus Pier. Wei WuXian belonged to him.

And that was all true before Jiang Cheng found out what he had done. Right before his whole world had come crashing down around him, a debris of everything he had believed before Wen Qionglin told him the truth, pulling the rug from under his feet and leaving Jiang Cheng flailing, unbalanced. 

Now…he wanted nothing to do with him.

But unfortunately, a social event such as a wedding, even if it was between two men - his lips curl into a distasteful sneer at the thought - couldn't be ignored, not when everyone and his mother was invited. Jiang Cheng, even after all these years, is deathly afraid of what people think. Not just the nobodies, but his peers, people who would definitely comment on his absence if he didn't attend. But that doesn't mean he has to like being here. He can feel his dislike expanding with each step that he trod on, growing like a malicious cloud around his person, a physical representation of his mood.

He is not happy to be here, and he's going to make sure everyone knows that.

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

Lan JingYi is most resourceful when he needs to be, and that need is right now, as he casually pushes one of the lower ranking disciples out of the way. He's done his research and he knows he was purposefully overlooked for this most secret of missions, that of keeping the infamous Sandu Shengshou in check. 

There are several things wrong with this.

Firstly, although Jiang WanYin is named that because of his two weapons, it also references the Three Poisons, none of which (in JingYi's opinion) he can control. Rather, he IS being controlled by them, which is just a skill issue. 

Secondly, none of these six guys, no, babies really, will be up for this task and what was Lan Laoshi thinking, by assigning them (lambs to the slaughter) (He winces at the thought) to minding the Jiang Clan Leader?

Okay, he's run out of things. He just knows that he's the best candidate for protecting Hanguang-Jun and Wei-Qianbei because today is Their Special Day and Lan JingYi is the only thing standing between their happiness and this…this wall of Hatred.

“Hi,” Lan JingYi says to the unsuspecting kid, moments before Jiang WanYin reaches them. “I'm taking your place.”

“You know what? Okay,” the kid nearly hugs him, visibly relieved. 

“Huh. That was easy.” JingYi says that out loud without meaning to.

“Good luck,” the kid grins, glancing back at the impending Tower Of Gloom fast coming closer. “Thank the Gods, that's not my problem.” He scurries away faster than a rat off a sinking ship.

Lan JingYi braces himself, stepping forward at the same time as his fellow supposed bodyguards step back, already intimidated. A fat lot of good they're going to be!

“Greetings, Jiang-Zongzhu. Welcome to the Cloud Recesses.” He bows just over the minimum acceptable requirement.

Jiang-Zongzhu does not bow back or acknowledge Lan JingYi aside from a curt barely-there nod.

Point proven, JingYi thinks wryly. He's so arrogant and annoying and it's easy to see where Jin Ling, the Young Mistress, gets his horrible grating personality from. But whatever is in the well will reach the field, and at least Jin Ling is trying to be better. Prolonged exposure to Wei-Qianbei will mostly fix whatever harm this guy has done. 

“Is no one else coming to greet me?” Jiang WanYin bites out, his lips curling around every word like it personally offended him.

“They're all a bit busy,” JingYi scoffs unintentionally, and then grinning because it's true. “Wedding happening soon and all,” he adds sagely as if Jiang WanYin didn't know that. “Also why we're here. Today, we get the pleasure of your company and vice versa.”

“You can get lost. I know my way around here, and I want to see my brother.” Jiang WanYin snarls.

He's rather feral, JingYi thinks, smiling politely and not at all feeling it. “If you're tired, we can go to the guest quarters so you can freshen up. Otherwise all guests are to make their way to the Reception Hall.” 

“Not the Ancestral Hall?” 

It's clear he is disapproving of that.

“Oh, they did that part earlier, just the two of them. Only family present,” JingYi can't help saying, pointedly, unable to resist the dig.

Jiang WanYin scowls openly.

“So which is it? Guest quarters or Reception Hall?”

Jiang WanYin studies him for a moment, his amethyst eyes shining with an indecipherable glimmer. He looks shrewd, as if he's calculating something. 

“Guest Quarters,” he says finally.

“Great!” JingYi replies brightly, on purpose, just to annoy him by being extra cheerful.

Jiang WanYin, unfortunately, wasn't wrong about his declaration on knowing his way around the Cloud Recesses. JingYi stays a little behind him, completely aware that it could take a second of distraction to derail this crucial part of the peacekeeping mission.

However, Jiang WanYin is well-behaved enough, though his grimace deepens as soon as he spots the red and gold decorations, silk sashes swaying in the breeze and fluttering as they walk past. Luckily, the guest quarters are located on the other side of the Reception Hall, and Lan JingYi fervently hopes that the power couple will have arrived where they're supposed to, by the time Jiang WanYin has relieved himself. 

They wait outside the single storey building while the Clan leader goes inside with his disciples, and JingYi, just to be cautious, makes two of his team go around the back, just in case. He's hoping Jiang WanYin won't try anything, but you never know.

But soon afterwards, the trickle of Yunmeng Jiang disciples start coming out, and there's no sign of their Leader. JingYi starts panicking, a cold sweat forming on the back of his neck as he sends two more of his team inside while he goes around the back to investigate. 

However, once he gets there, his heart sinks. His two teammates are unconscious on the ground and the window is open, showing him exactly what happened. Jiang WanYin used it to escape. 

He was right: one moment of distraction is all it takes. Now, he could be anywhere within the Cloud Recesses. 

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

Lan Qiren turns around when he hears the sound of feet slapping on the ancient stones behind him, a clear sign of someone trying and failing not to run. The panic in his heart goes away when he sees Lan JingYi. It can't be anything serious because the boy isn't part of the group assigned to–

“Jiang-Zongzhu has escaped!” JingYi yells, panting.

And just like that, Lan Qiren is unceremoniously dumped into a vat of fear.

“Alright,” he says, sounding calm even to himself. “First of all, take a breath. Then drink this,” he adds, pulling out a jar of water from his sleeve.

“You know, you're much nicer, these days,” JingYi tells him with overrated confidence. 

“I can still punish you,” Lan Qiren reminds him, mildly. 

“What for?” He squawks back, in outrage.

“Come on,” Lan Qiren says, leading the way. There's no time for banter.

"But the guest quarters are that way,” JingYi protests, pointing in the direction he's just come from.

“But he's not there, is he?” Lan Qiren is fast running dry out of the well of patience he had prepared for today. Okay, so he thought he'd be using it because of the shameless antics of the grooms but no, this situation is far worse. 

“I guess not,” JingYi amends, guiltily. “So...where is he, exactly?”

“Wherever Wei WuXian is,” Lan Qiren grimaces. At this rate, his heart is definitely going to give up on him. He fears he has developed a nervous twitch because of having to deal with so much stress these past couple of weeks. And possibly also a stomach ulcer. And a headache.

It was probably too optimistic of him to hope that any event could pass by without something going wrong. And now, it's time to face the music. 

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

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan leave the tranquility of the Jingshi after having to redo their hair and makeup at least five times already. It's nobody's fault, Wei Ying thinks. Lan Zhan is far too beautiful not to kiss. Then of course, one thing leads to another and they get busy…doing well, each other. But the silver lining is that these beautiful red silk robes now have an anti-crease talisman on them. Definitely a case of necessity breeding innovation. 

Today is such a bright, exciting morning, full of hope. This is the start (actually they started as soon as they confessed in Guanyin temple) of their wonderful life together, and Wei Ying is ecstatic about it. He glances up, and finds Lan Zhan already staring back at him.

“Are you happy, my love?” He knows that Lan Zhan is, but he just wants to hear about it.

“Infinitely.”

Wei Ying giggles, full of joy. What's not to like, walking arm in arm towards the venue where both of you are going to marry again, albeit just for public recognition this time? They already got married in a second ceremony earlier, by far Wei Ying’s favourite time. Being able to kneel in front of Lan Zhan’s mother's tablet, and just talking to her was really nice. As a wedding gift, Lan Zhan had presented Wei Ying with tablets bearing his parents’ names, having done the calligraphy of their characters himself. And it seems great minds think alike, because Wei Ying has secretly been working on a portrait of them both since Lan Qiren decided on the date of their wedding. He gave it to his husband earlier, after the second time they got dressed. How was he supposed to know it was going to ‘inspire’ Lan Zhan again? His husband who apparently has a hair-trigger for initiating their everyday activities. It's getting harder and harder to know what is going to set him off again, and Wei Ying has all but given up. Besides, who's the real winner here?

He's just about to answer that question when two things happen at once. 

They've reached the crossroads of the stone path and they're just about to take the one that leads towards the reception hall when they see Jiang WanYin rushing towards them. Lan Zhan immediately takes action by pulling Wei Ying behind him and drawing Bichen to point at the Jiang Clan Leader. 

“Where did you get that?” Wei Ying wants to know, flabbergasted because Lan Zhan’s hands were holding him just a moment ago, and now he's got his stabby face on…which isn't good news for anyone with the guts to stand in front of him.

“WEI WUXIAN!” Jiang WanYin yells but then both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are overtaken by Lan Qiren, standing taller than they've ever seen him. He came out of nowhere, presumably from the path behind them.

“JingYi, please go and fetch XiChen. Lan-Zongzhu. Now,” he peers at the youngest man there, silently willing him to go a bit faster. As soon as JingYi moves away, looking backwards every few minutes, Lan Qiren turns back towards the glowering Clan leader. “Jiang-Zongzhu, greetings. Welcome to the Cloud Recesses.”

“Greetings, Lan Laoshi. Please get out of my way. I wish to talk to my brother.” Jiang WanYin scowls past him to where Wei WuXian is standing.

He's behind Lan Zhan with just his face visible and still confused, but watching him with interest. He does put a hand on Lan Zhan’s arm, coaxing him to put away his blade.

“Whatever you wish to say should wait. Today is their wedding day,” Lan Qiren says, sounding calm. 

“I know THAT. Why do you think I'm here?” Jiang WanYin's face twists in anger.

“Jiang Cheng! That's rude!” Wei WuXian tells him, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Rude? Rude?? You've got a nerve, saying that!” Jiang WanYin explodes.

“Jiang-Zongzhu, I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that you have a point to make. If that's the case, please get on with it.” Lan Qiren stands firm. If he cannot dissuade Jiang WanYin to abort this, well, whatever objective he has in mind, then the least he can do for his nephew and his husband is provide a controlled environment where he can and will intervene if necessary. 

“First, apologise to Shufu.” Wei WuXian demands.

Lan Qiren glances behind him, recognising that tone. Yep, Wei WuXian's face is determined, barely hidden anger brewing in his silver eyes; he's not going to back down. A flare of pride swamps Lan Qiren. He wasn't expecting such a feeling to arrive, and he wasn't expecting Wei WuXian to be affronted or offended on his behalf. It's nice that someone other than his nephews wants to defend his honour.

“You're calling him Shufu? Since when?” Jiang WanYin scoffs, sneering.

“Since he told me to. And hello?” Wei WuXian shakes his red sleeve at him. “We're married. He's family.”

“I'm family, too.” Jiang WanYin's eyes are red-rimmed.

“Then act like it. Why are you so angry?” Lan Qiren takes over, regaining control of both himself and this situation. 

“Why didn't HE tell me I've got to sit through a tea ceremony for HIM?” 

“You don't have to, if you don't want to.” 

Lan Qiren can feel the hurt in Wei WuXian's voice. A person should be happy on their wedding day. So, this isn't happening, not on his watch. And apparently, judging from the low, dangerous growl from WangJi, not on his watch, either.

“I DIDN'T SAY THAT, DID I?” 

Echoes ricochet off the mountainsides, piercing the tranquility of the space they're in. Birds, startled from the sudden noise, fly out of the trees squawking, wings slapping in a panic and making the branches sway, snapping back and forth with leaves rustling.

“Jiang WanYin,” Lan Qiren has had enough. He makes his glare harder, his tone uncompromising. This man has studied in his classes back when he turned fifteen, and he's not going to let him forget it. “Ask yourself this: would you have preferred not being invited at all?” He gives him a moment to consider this possibility. “You cannot find fault with everything Wei WuXian does. There will come a time when you must pick between two outcomes. The fact that you were invited at all, against better judgement, speaks for itself. Weddings are auspicious occasions, so I will remind you that it is an honour to be invited and to be able to attend. The tea ceremony, however, is a privilege. I suspect that you would have been equally annoyed and upset no matter whether you were asked to or not perform it.”

Cornered in such a way, Lan Qiren recognises the stubborn aggressive desire to retaliate in the Jiang Clan Leader. 

“You expect me to support a cutsleeve–”

So Lan Qiren silences him. “Jiang WanYin, if you cannot be respectful, I will have you removed. A wedding is a wedding, whether it is between a man and a woman, or between two women or two men. I do not believe you are shortsighted enough to actually be homophobic, but if that's the case, consider yourself banned from the Cloud Recesses. If you are choosing such an offensive tactic for the sole purpose of antagonising both of my children, then understand this. In the Cloud Recesses, both of them are highly respected cultivators. Lan WangJi is a pillar of righteousness and nobility, literally going to wherever the chaos is, without expectations of reward or fame, and yet both of those come naturally to him. Wei WuXian is the chaos he has married, but he also is an unmatched fighter, and is a faithful, hardworking genius in his own right. Selfless to a fault, there is no one more willing to lend a hand without looking to his own personal needs. Therefore, to insult either one of them is the same as insulting the Lan Clan as a whole. Furthermore, if you insist on following your misguided attempts to lower their status, we will withdraw all trade with the Yunmeng Jiang, effective immediately.” Lan Qiren has the satisfaction of seeing genuine fear in Jiang WanYin's eyes. 

Good.

All throughout this exchange, Jiang WanYin's face has been getting redder and redder, struggling against the Silencing Spell. 

Lan Qiren could care less about him.

“Shufu?” XiChen arrives with JingYi and twenty more disciples, sounding out of breath.

Lan Qiren nods at him. “Depending on his answer, be prepared to escort Jiang-Zongzhu from the Cloud Recesses.” He's thankful that XiChen doesn't question him as they both turn to Jiang WanYin. “Well? What is your answer?” Lan Qiren removes the spell locking his lips. “Think carefully,” he warns. “And think about your parents. How do you think Jiang Fengmian, who was my friend, would feel about your conduct?”

Shame clouds his face before Jiang WanYin can stop it, though he does his best to cover it up.

“Jiang-Zongzhu,” XiChen says quietly, “a wise person once told me that two of the hardest words were “I'm sorry” and “thank you”. And that they could be wrenched out of you or given freely, and that the second one was the best choice because it is within your control. You can decide.” 

How XiChen can be so calm is beyond Lan Qiren, who has been fighting his own growing anger all this time. And yet, he has never been so proud of his eldest nephew as he is now. As one, they see the moment that Jiang WanYin deflates, letting his ego take a back seat. His anger visibly bleeds out of him as his proud shoulders sag, free of whatever pressure he was putting on them.

Jiang WanYin bows to Lan Qiren stiffly, not an inch more than he has to. “My apologies, Lan-Laoshi. Lan-Zongzhu. I do not know what came over me.”

They both bow easily back, accepting it for what it is.

XiChen orders the disciples who came with him to take Jiang WanYin back to the Reception Hall, where the wedding is about to commence upon the arrival of the grooms. Lan JingYi is fidgeting though, and that's never a good sign.

“What is it?” Both XiChen and Lan Qiren ask him at the same time, and Lan Qiren hides a reluctant smile as he steps back. He must get used to doing that properly if XiChen decides not to return to his self-imposed seclusion. 

“So…uh, someone might have gotten a bit confused and mixed up the jars of wine with the jars of tea,” he grins while reporting this alarming piece of news. 

“And?” XiChen ventures warily while a gleeful Wei WuXian cackles shamelessly in the background as his husband wears a besotted, indulgent expression. 

“Well, it's kind of too late to stop them. They're all drunk.” 

Lan Qiren watches as XiChen asks pertinent questions to assess the situation and mitigate the fallout with a curiously unrepentant, possibly guilty perpetrator in tow, followed by the two grooms who are already enjoying themselves. Wei WuXian stops to look at him.

“Shufu…you said “my children”.” He looks uncertain. 

“Yes.” Lan Qiren won't be examining why that came out so defensively. “Aren't you?” He strides past a beaming Wei WuXian and his softly pleased nephew. “Hurry up, or we'll be late,” Lan Qiren says, in lieu of stifling the warmth in his chest.

Reaching the Reception Hall, he has a brief glimpse of panic watching some of the still sober Lans chasing after the drunk ones who have simultaneously decided weddings are to get naked to, and then he realises that actually, they're no longer his problem. He looks up at a speculative Jiang WanYin, who raises his cup towards him as if to wish him good luck dealing with crazy Lan kids and adults who have chucked responsibility on the roadside and are intent on having a great time instead. Lan Qiren looks at his place settings and sees that there are two cups filled with two different liquids: one pale and clear and innocently resembling water, and the pale golden one familiarly smelling like tea.

Fuck it, he thinks as a pair of underwear goes flying past his face, and grabs the cup of Emperor's Smile. 

Whatever happens next, it's not going to be his problem. 

THE END

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A/N

Dear Beautiful Readers,

I feel like I should know by now, I can't write anything short. My problem with this prompt was that I needed to show Lan Qiren's change of heart. I couldn't fathom him defending either Wei WuXian or Lan WangJi without an explanation, so welcome to nearly 17.5K of exposition and plot. But what I'm sure of is that I wanted the person who paid for this prompt to get their money's worth, and I hope they like it. Same goes for all of my WangXian family! 

I get inspired by what you guys think, so please feel free to express yourselves. 

All my love,

Charlie

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