Chapter Text
Waking up to the sound of an alarm in an otherwise silent room had become routine for Wei Wuxian, somehow. Throwing a blind arm out in the dark to locate his phone with no brother shouting at him to shut off his alarm had become routine for him, too.
He reached out at his cold bed and as the form of his phone was nudged by his fingertips, he heard the loud bang of it slapping the floor. He opened his eyes to find the room still dark, dawn silently waiting for him to pick up the device now lying in the dust under his bed. He let out a loud groan to accompany the shrill tune of his alarm.
When the alarm was shut off, his frame shuddered with the winter chill that filled his room during the night. He dragged himself into his small bathroom to wash up, only slightly wincing at the temperature of the water. Wei Wuxian had spent the first few months of his university completely on his own, wholly thrown out of his old room by Madam Yu. Jiang Cheng had been sent to a school on the other side of the country, his phone wiped of Wei Wuxian’s contact information completely. That did not stop Wei Wuxian from attempting to get hold of him through other means, but it did mean finding out Madam Yu had given his brother a new phone number.
Jiang Yanli had been with her new husband, Jin Jixuan, and wholly preoccupied with settling down in a new home to even be informed of the whole debacle. Wei Wuxian does not know whether she has been informed yet.
Some part of him wishes she hadn’t.
Looking into the mirror, he pulled his hair into a ponytail and secured it with a worn red ribbon. He knew once he left his shabby apartment, the grogginess would leave him, but standing here before his sink, shirt wet from washing his face, he feels like the worst version of himself.
Wei Wuxian shoved his earphones in and blasted music into his ears as he walked down the stairwell. His apartment requires a 1 hour long bus journey to get to his university, which he had spent each moment of watching the people enter and leave his peripherals as the sun peeked into view.
As Wei Wuxian entered the school building, he felt lighter without the stark reminder of his life missing people who meant the world to him. As he opened the door, his eyes instantly danced around to find Wen Qing. Strangely, however, the woman in question had been engaged in a hushed conversation with his close friend Nie Huaisang.
Peering around the room once more for verification, Wei Wuxian realises this is, in fact, his chemistry lecture.
Nie Huaisang, is a social science major.
Wen Qing shot him a look as he crept up behind Nie Huaisang, a grin plastered on his face. Before his dear friend could notice, however, he stabbed a finger into Nie Huaisang’s ribs.
Nie Huaisang immediately yelped, instinctively bringing an arm to swat Wei Wuxian’s away.
“What the fuck-“ Nie Huaisang cursed, outraged, before remembering himself. The shock seemed to wash away completely, his face morphing into a tight lipped stare. He coughed lightly, attempting to save himself of further embarrassment. Wei Wuxian laughed under his breath as he lazily sunk into the seat beside him.
Before Nie Huaisang could find his words, however, Wei Wuxian cut in.
“What are you doing here, Huaisang?” Wei Wuxian plastered a teasing smile on his face as he elbowed his friend lightly.
“Trying to charm my dear friend Wen Qing? Or are you here to learn about stoichiometry?”
“Not your friend.” Wen Qing corrected, face completely devoid of any empathy as Wei Wuxian dramatically gaped at her.
“You cannot say that-“
Wen Qing cut him off before he could finish his words.
“He is here to ask me for my brother's contact information.”
Huaisang seemed to panic at the explanation, his hands quickly coming to gesticulate his attempted diffusion of Wei Wuxian’s new-found excitement. “No, it's just...Da-ge is going to kill me if he finds out I am failing,” He heaved a sigh, staring down at the desk.
“Wen Ning is top of the class in social theory, I just thought he would be able to give me some pointers or something.”
Wei Wuxian looked at Nie Huaisang’s defeated form, then refocused on Wen Qing. “So, what’s the verdict on this poor soul’s future?” Wei Wuxian lightly slapped his friend’s back for further emphasis.
“Me and my brother study in the library on Friday evenings,” Wen Qing informed, looking passively at Nie Huaisang.
“I could tell him you wish to join, if you would like.”
At that, Nie Huaisang’s face broke out into a grin.
“I owe you!” He then stood up out of his seat, and picked up his bag from off the table.
“Wow, sorted just in time. Your lovely professor is here,” He announced, eyes darting to where their professor walked in holding a large folder almost spilling out with papers. Nie Huaisang made a fast dash to the door, slipping out just in time for their professor to clear his throat.
Wei Wuxian glanced at Wen Qing as he slid into the newly vacated seat beside her. “Why did Huaisang come find you instead of Wen Ning?” He whispered to her, knowing well of the paucity of relation between Nie Huaisang and Wen Qing.
“Usually it’s the opposite, right? You’re real’ scary.”
Wen Qing huffed a laugh, keeping her focus trained on their professor who had begun the lesson.
“He said Wen Ning ran away every time he tried to talk to him,” She spoke quietly, her hand slightly covering her mouth as her lips involuntarily quirked up in amusement. “He’s too shy for his own good.”
Wei Wuxian nodded, a knowing grin spreading on his face. He had met Wen Ning at the beginning of high school, almost five years ago now. Wen Ning had never had luck when it came to making friends, being the quiet observer he is. Contrastingly, Wei Wuxian had cultivated quite the large number of people who would follow him through the halls making a ruckus, much to his principal’s dismay. The day they met, Wei Wuxian had been sent to the nurses office after injuring himself while playing basketball outside, his arm dripping blood. As he slid open the door to the small office, his gaze first landed on a skinny boy sitting in the corner with a rubix cube in hand. When the boy heard the door slide open with energetic force, his head snapped up. Their eyes met for a split second, his grinning eyes contrasting those of Wen Ning. Wen Ning seemed almost squirmish under observation, but his eyes quickly snapped to the bleeding arm of Wei Wuxian. His eyes widened, and his jaw fell slack, almost dropping the cube in his hands.
“Miss Ouyang?!” Wen Ning had called, eyes darting all around the room for the adult. At the panicked reaction, Wei Wuxian burst out laughing, which evidently seemed to startle the poor boy more.
“I’m not dying! That's just a scratch!” Wei Wuxian laughed harder, lifting his injured arm for good measure. That seemed to be the wrong choice, as his blood dripped off his arm and onto the floor. Wen Ning followed the movement with the widest eyes Wei Wuxian had ever seen, before turning his entire body away with a sharp wince. As if to save him from Wei Wuxian, the school nurse appeared from a connecting door in the back, instantly getting to work.
The nurse had become accustomed to Wei Wuxian appearing in this very room for various reasons, being the free spirit he claimed himself to be. She sighed, and gestured for him to sit so she could examine his arm. “And what happened to you this time?” She asked, pulling out antiseptic wipes to clean around the wound.
“I tried to dive for the ball while playing basketball,” He explained and shrugged his left shoulder. “Sounded like a good idea to me at the time, but I barely knocked the ball out of Jiang Cheng’s hands before I slammed into the ground. Forgot the ground was concrete. I think I’ll try that in football next time, though. That wouldn’t hurt.”
The nurse nodded as if his ramblings made any semblance of sense, and Wei Wuxian continued to talk about everything and anything as she began to pick out the small stones that somehow jammed themselves in his torn skin. From the corner of his eye, he saw something move and only then, did he remember the small boy still sitting quietly in the corner.
Wei Wuxian stared at him for only a moment before asking,
“Who are you?”
Wen Ning had been startled at being addressed so suddenly, and his hands held onto his now-completed rubix cube like a vice.
“Me?” He asked, cocking his head slightly to the side, eyebrows drawn together slightly in confusion.
“Well, duh”
Wen Ning blushed, “Wen..Ning,” He said quietly. When Wei Wuxian squinted and cocked his head to the side slightly, he spoke up slightly louder.
“My name is Wen Ning.”
Wei Wuxian’s face lit up when the words registered in his own head.
“Ah, Wen Ning! My name is Wei Wuxian!” He beamed at him, ignoring the stinging pain of the ointment the nurse began applying on his arm.
“Did you fall, too? Why are you here during lunch time? Did you eat yet? They have pizza today, did you have pizza?”
The barrage of questions evidently threw Wen Ning off guard. He stared for a moment before a small, shy smile broke into his expression.
“Miss Ouyang lets me stay here sometimes at lunch.”
The nurse smiled at him softly before turning to Wei Wuxian.
“Wen Ning seems to like the quiet. I found him hiding here one day, and he’s been nice company.”
After Wei Wuxian had been dealt with, the nurse turned back to type a note out for him to bring home to his guardians. Wei Wuxian took that opportunity to approach Wen Ning. It was not as if he approached quietly, if anything his steps were rather loud. Yet when he tapped Wen Ning on the back, the boy jumped like a startled cat regardless.
Wei Wuxian hid a smile as he peered down at the toy in the boy’s hands,
“Is that a rubix cube?” He had asked, and from that moment on, he had grown incredibly close to Wen Ning.
He learned many things about the introverted young man through the years, like the fact he does not enjoy hanging out with more than a few people at a time. Or the fact he is extremely polite in every aspect of his own life.
He gradually found out that his sister had a strong interest in medicine, which was the reason Wen Ning had found solace in the nurses office when he was younger.
The moment when their friendship had seared deeply was when Wen Qing and Wen Ning’s grandmother passed away, leaving them wholly alone in society. No parents, no aunts or uncles who cared. As soon as Wei Wuxian found out about this, he had offered them to stay with him in his small room. He had been slightly sheepish at offering his box room that barely fit more than a mattress and a desk, but it was all the space he could get. After sneaking them both into his room during the night for a few days, Jiang Fengmian eventually found them out. That had led to Wei Wuxian being berated and whipped by his adoptive mother, which she had said was appropriate punishment for such an act. Not without begging from both he and Jiang Cheng, the two Wen siblings had been allowed to stay with them until a suitable home for the two underaged teenagers was found.
Wen Qing had worked at least two jobs from the moment her grandmother fell ill, and Wei Wuxian still remembers those days when she worked so hard she would fall asleep standing upright. Wen Qing had always been a strong woman, working herself to the bone for herself and her brother's wellbeing. That was the reason she took two years off between high school and
university. She had managed to save enough money to keep both her and her brother alive, and had been awarded a renowned scholarship the same year her brother had graduated.
Thankfully, the two siblings are now living together in a government-supported apartment near uni, both siblings in their first year. When Wei Wuxian found out Wen Qing was slotted in the same chemistry and genetics class, he had been so delighted he had given her a hug for the first time in their years of friendship.
Wei Wuxian was wholly snapped back into reality due to the nudge of a pen into his arm. Looking over to Wen Qing beside him, she had a slightly pensive expression as she ticked her head to the side, gesturing to the top of the room. Expecting something exciting, Wei Wuxian turned his head to glance about the top of the room, only to realise Wen Qing had just wanted him to pay attention.
“Boring..” He muttered under his breath, suddenly missing the moments spent with Wen Ning.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎₊˚⊹ ᰔ
Hours later, Wei Wuxian walked out of his final lecture of the day. Suddenly , an arm flung around his neck. His body then was pulled in flush to none other than Nie Huaisang, who had a sly smile on his face.
“Hey, Wei-Xiong!”
Wei Wuxian mirrored his friend’s expression, and knocked his hips into his friend's side.
“What's up, Huaisang?”
Instantly, Nie Huaisang pulled back to pull out his fan from his pocket and fan his hidden face.
“I have an issue. I so desperately need your help, Wei-Xiong.”
Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes at the dramatics, but nodded sympathetically regardless, playing along. “And how may my excellent self help you this time?”
“Well, you see, I asked Wen Qing for help to get to Wen Ning, but…I have no idea how to speak with him when I see him. I’ve tried so many times but he just…Ah i dont know! It’s always so awkward! I don’t do well with people quieter than me,” Nie Huaisang complained, face now completely hidden from view.
Wei Wuxian laughed, “You two study social science. How are you having trouble communicating?”
“I don't know!” Nie Huaisang closed his fan, eyebrows drawn together seriously.
“So that's why I need your help.”
“How am I supposed to help?” Wei Wuxian asked carefully.
Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes. “You are our mutual friend. You can help make it less awkward,” He smacked Wei Wuxian lightly with his fan.
“And you talk enough for three people anyway.” He muttered under his breath.
“Hey, what was that? Insulting me while asking for my help?” Wei Wuxian gawked,
“I was going to say yes, but now I want to say no ‘cause of your cruel words!”
Nie Huaisang’s face dropped,
“No, no, I didn’t say anything! I don't know what you mean! I really need your help, Wei-Xiong, please!” He begged.
“What do I get out of this?” Wei Wuxian asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Nie Huaisang took a moment to think.
“I’ll get you a good bottle of wine!”
Wei Wuxian took a momentary pause to consider the words, before he realised he had just finished his last stores of alcohol and was in no financial sphere to purchase more.
“Ah, fine, yeah I’ll go.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair, “When do you need me?”
“Ah, shit, I forgot to ask that.” Nie Huaisang bit his lip.
“I’ll text you later. I need to find Wen Qing again.” He began to brood in deep thought, assumably thinking of where to find the woman in question.
Wei Wuxian let out an amused breath.
“Yeah, save your time. I’ll ask her tonight and I’ll text you the time.” He pat Nie Huaisang on the shoulder.
“You’re so welcome.”
Nie Huaisang lit up,
“Thank you, Wei-Xiong! Always so dependable!”
Wei Wuxian waved a hand as he began to walk away,
“Make sure the wine is good!”
The sky was painted a deep shade of orange, almost devoid of natural light entirely. The street lamps shone overhead, a few flickering every so often. The walk from school to his bus stop was incredibly close, and he was sat dazedly staring out at the sky when his phone pinged with a response from Wen Qing.
“Four, huh,” He muttered quietly in the small booth, occupied by only himself. He then scrolled through his contacts to find Nie Huaisang, but suddenly stopped in his tracks when he noticed the words ‘Shi-Jie’ glowing back at him through his screen. He had not realised that her number was still in his phone. His breath caught in his chest and he instantly felt like throwing up. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at the name followed by a wide variety of cute emojis he selected to represent his sister.
“Shi-jie!” He had called, showing his slightly cracked screen to his sister, a wide grin splitting his face. “Look! I put a lotus flower, that’s not as pretty as you, but close enough!”
Jiang Yanli giggled, patting him on the head.
“Yes, it's very beautiful, Wuxian. What about those hearts? What do the colours mean?”
“Pink for you, red for me, and a purple one for Jiang Cheng, since he doesn't have a phone yet.”
Even to this day, Wei Wuxian had never changed the contact name. Those three hearts still bear the same weight in his life. That same weight that had been stripped from him not so long ago. Tears pricked his eyes until they covered his vision completely, until he had no choice but to close his eyes and let the tears fall. As if to test his patience, the bus he had been waiting for decided to show up on time this time, forcing him to quickly scrub at his face with his sleeve and attempt to seem normal as he found a far-back seat to compose himself in.
He eventually regained control over his breathing, lips pressed together firmly to keep his calm. His phone had been forcibly turned off, himself fully unwilling to open it for now. He spent that bus journey listening to the low whirring of the engine, the tires rubbing off the road, and the idle noises of the people going about their day. For the first time in a long while, he let himself fully take in the moment around him, instead of letting himself spiral down into a long, messy string of thoughts.
By the time he reached his stop, he felt marginally better. Knowing he still had her number saved was both scary and relieving. There was fear in thinking her phone number was changed like Jiang Cheng’s, yet there was a slight comfort in knowing that the data from their past chats were still there.
He had no heart to open those messages now, anyway, so he took a deep breath and pulled out his phone once more. He sent Nie Huaisang a short message, and placed it back in his bag.
Being home at 7pm, Wei Wuxian still had almost an hour until his part-time shift at the bar down the street. He had somehow landed himself a job at a rather upscale bar, spending some nights making money to keep himself alive, and being surrounded by his two favourite things - people and alcohol.
He instantly made his way to the bathroom, washing his face in an attempt to clear the stagnant feeling of separation from his siblings. Hating each moment of silence by himself, he blasted a podcast from his phone, trying to distract himself enough to be mobile. Surrounded by noise, he buttoned up his black dress shirt and decided he looked more than acceptable. Taking note of the extra thirty minutes, he decided to try cleaning up his apartment. He got approximately ten minutes into it before he became distracted with an unfinished experiment he attempted himself at home.
His fiddling with the piece caused him to rush to work, practically running through the back door to clock in. His managers thankfully did not seem to notice his slight shortness of breath as he emerged from the back, a confident smile masking his face.
The first two hours of his work were remarkably usual, just a few older customers coming in for a drink or two to chat over. Wei Wuxian got many tips from the women and men alike, which is what kept him front and centre at this establishment. On weekends, the bar would be overwhelmingly full, but on slower days like this, he can happily take his time getting to know his customers - his flamboyant personality being a great lead factor.
He had just waved an elderly couple goodbye, when he turned around to find two young men now sitting by the bar. One man, dressed in browns and golds of varying pricey fabrics, made eye contact and smiled politely at him. Wei Wuxian moved forward, greeting them with his signature smile.
“Hello gentlemen, how may I get you started this evening?” He asked, glancing between the men. They seemed rather well off, both having small, easy smiles as they regarded Wei Wuxian.
“I will not be drinking tonight, but may I have a glass of water?” A man dressed in a white turtleneck asked, a kind smile on his face as he pulled out his wallet from his light blue jacket. His face was rather handsome, even by Wei Wuxian’s standards.
“I will be treating my good friend today.” He said easily, slightly nodding to his friend on his right.
The man in question, donned in warm tones, smiled at that, and spoke mannerly,
“Just a gin and tonic, please.”
“Coming right up,” Wei Wuxian replied, reaching forward to fill a tall glass with water.
“Here you are, sir..?” He trailed off, tilting his head to the side.
“Lan Xichen,” The man replied easily, that small smile never leaving his face. For some reason, the name sounded incredibly familiar to Wei Wuxian, but he could not place it. Was it his name, or his face that felt familiar? He could not remember.
Instead of asking any questions, he nodded and smiled.
“This is Jin Guangyao,” Lan Xichen added, looking beside him at his companion.
He pointed at his name tag,
“Wei Wuxian. Nice to meet you,” He nodded in respect to the two as he started filling the short glass. Lan Xichen’s gaze zoned into his name tag, then seemed to stare at his face, but Wei Wuxian pretended not to notice. He cleared his throat lightly.
“May I ask what occasion has sparked this outing tonight?” He asked, trying to make light conversation.
“Ah,” Lan Xichen spoke first, glancing at Jin Guangyao. Lan Xichen seemed reproachful or a little nervous, but Jin Guangyao simply nodded, urging him to continue.
“My friend here just recently got divorced.”
Wei Wuxian was so taken aback by this response that he almost dropped the tonic water.
“Divorce?” He asked incredulously, taking in how young the two looked. They could not have been too much older than himself.
“My condolences,” He spoke carefully,
“Or congratulations?” He added, trying to lighten the mood.
Thankfully Jin Guangyao laughed, and thanked him regardless. Wei Wuxian placed his glass in front of him, lemon placed perfectly, if he could compliment himself. Somehow, he felt the atmosphere around them was slightly prickly, so he took an opportunity to chat to other guests for a short while.
Every so often, he would look over at the two men. They seemed to be involved in serious conversation, with Jin Guangyao placing his head in his hands more than twice. He felt sympathetic to the man, and soon handed him a new drink. “It’s on the house,” He said, smiling at them both.
“Ah, I’m too pitiable, it seems,” Jin Guangyao joked. Or so Wei Wuxian assumed. It was quite hard to tell, even as someone who was paid to understand people. This man evoked both pity and doubt from Wei Wuxian, and he was unsure why.
Lan Xichen placed a hand on his back, placatingly, then turned to Wei Wuxian.
“Thank you very much,” He spoke, an appreciative smile on his face. Despite the men having similar temperaments, Wei Wuxian felt as if they were incredibly different. Looking at Lan Xichen, he did not feel that same hesitancy as when he spoke to Jin Guangyao.
Regardless, he was here to do a job, so he simply bowed slightly and walked back to a group of middle aged women who had been trying to wave him back over since he momentarily left them.
Around half an hour later, Lan Xichen paid for their tab, which was rather short, but he had then tipped almost double their cumulative bill. Wei Wuxian looked down at the bill book and back up at Lan Xichen who had been picking up his things.
“Excuse me, sir, did you hand me this by mistake?” He asked, thinking it was a simple mistake, even by someone completely sober.
“No, please accept it for your great service,” Lan Xichen smiled,
“Have a lovely night, Wei Wuxian.”
Hearing his name come from the man’s mouth felt almost nostalgic, but still he could not recall why exactly he felt such a way. He paused for only a moment before breaking out into a wide grin. “Thank you both very much. Good night, get home safely!”
Jin Guangyao thanked him ever so politely even as his eyes appeared red rimmed. Wei Wuxian waved them goodbye, a smile on his face as he tried to recall where he seemed to know Lan Xichen from.
“-and he was like an untouchable statue. He wouldn’t pay attention to me at all!” A drunk woman from another table complained so loudly it interrupted Wei Wuxian’s thoughts.
It was when those very words registered, that Wei Wuxian remembered someone. Someone who Wei Wuxian wanted to be noticed by. Someone who shared similarities with Lan Xichen. Someone with the same surname. Someone who had an older brother. Someone he had not seen in two years.
Lan Zhan.