Chapter Text
The cultivation world had, somehow, settled into a fragile peace. The aftermath of the war had mostly affected the Wen Clan.
Wen Ruohan remained for a time to assist Wen Xu with stabilizing the clan. Afterward, he returned to his research—not in full seclusion, so that Wen Xu could still seek his advice whenever necessary.
Wen Xu devoted most of his time to restoring the Wen Clan’s reputation. Surprisingly, he handled the task with a careful diplomatic approach, working to repair relationships that had long been strained.
Yet peace in the cultivation world never lasted without gossip.
As one scandal faded, another quickly took its place.
The topic now circulating among the sects concerned Meng Yao.
His role in killing Wen Zhuliu had earned him great favor from Jin Guangshan. Soon, Meng Yao was officially acknowledged within the Jin Clan—now known as Jin Guangyao.
Many considered the situation… suspicious.
Still, no one could openly protest. After all, Meng Yao truly had killed Wen Zhuliu, and the fact remained that he was Jin Guangshan’s illegitimate son.
Even so, whispers continued.
Some claimed that Jin Guangshan had merely taken advantage of Meng Yao’s achievement—using it to elevate the Jin Clan’s reputation while taking the credit for himself. Others murmured that he had remained conveniently silent during the worst of the atrocities, carefully protecting his own position while others bore the consequences.
In the cultivation world, reputation was everything.
And scandals, it seemed, were never in short supply.
***
“Lan Zhan~~”
“Sleep, Wei Ying.”
“My head is turning here and there. It’s still working! My creation only needs a little touch and it’s done. Just let me finish it. Okayyyy?” Wei Ying whined.
“It’s past eleven, Wei Ying. You’ve already had three more hours.”
Wei Ying pouted. “But I just got my inspiration.”
“Rest. You can continue tomorrow.”
Lan Zhan gently pulled Wei Ying against him, letting him drape comfortably over his shoulder. He began humming their song, one hand moving slowly along Wei Ying’s back.
Wei Ying shifted slightly, searching for the most comfortable position.
Then, soothed by the quiet melody and the warmth of Lan Zhan’s embrace, he finally allowed himself to drift into sleep.
***
“Lan Zhan! Have you asked Huaisang about the reason he wanted Wen Zhuliu alive? He specifically asked that from us.”
Lan Zhan answered without looking up from his writing.
“Not yet.”
Wei Ying sucked on the end of his brush, thinking.
Should he ask now… or wait until they met again?
He and Lan Zhan were about to leave for a night hunt. Wei Ying had already asked permission from Wen Ruohan to visit—and to bring Lan Zhan along. Wen Ruohan had said he did not mind at all.
So they would stop by.
First, they would follow Wei Ying’s parents for a while before eventually going their own path.
Both of them had already informed their families about the engagement. However, they both felt there was no need to announce it publicly just yet.
Nie Huaisang still insisted that timing was important.
After the rumors, Nie Huaisang repeatedly reminded them to be careful. He even asked them to consult him before doing anything out of the ordinary.
Lan Wangji seemed not to mind, as long as their relationship remained properly protected from unnecessary gossip.
Surprisingly, a letter soon arrived from Wen Qing. She wrote that she and Wen Ning planned to visit Cloud Recesses.
Which raised an interesting question.
Unfortunately, they would arrive after Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had already left for their trip.
Wei Ying couldn’t help thinking that it would have been fun to tease Wen Qing about it.
“Wei Ying, what are you thinking?”
Lan Wangji had already set down his brush and was now watching him.
Wei Ying had been wandering in his thoughts and hadn’t even noticed that Lan Wangji had finished writing. He finally placed his own brush aside, walked over, and slumped into Lan Wangji’s lap.
Looking up with a bright smile, he reached out and gently stroked Lan Wangji’s face.
“I was only wondering why Qing-jie is coming here.”
Lan Wangji took his hand and kissed it softly before resting it against his cheek. He loved the warmth of Wei Ying’s touch.
“Wen Qing is likely asking for Xiongzhang,” he said calmly. “Something related to sect matters, perhaps.”
Wei Ying shifted slightly, now sitting more comfortably in Lan Wangji’s lap, studying his face with quiet attention.
“I just love you so much, Lan Zhan,” he said suddenly.
Lan Wangji’s ears slowly turned red.
“I love Wei Ying too,” he replied, leaning forward to place a gentle peck on his lips.
Wei Ying laughed happily.
A voice spoke from the doorway.
“I think I have entered the wrong place. This is supposed to be the library, right?”
Lan Xichen stood there with a teasing smile. In truth, he had come to call them earlier—but he had paused outside the door, quietly waiting until they finished, somewhat entertained by the scene.
“Xichen-ge!” Wei Wuxian immediately stood up in surprise.
Beside him, Lan Wangji had already raised a hand instinctively, ready to catch him if he lost his balance. When Wei Wuxian remained steady, Lan Wangji slowly lowered his hand and turned toward the doorway.
“Xiongzhang,” he greeted softly. His ears were still faintly red.
Lan Xichen sat down across from them at the table. For a moment, he simply looked at the two of them in silence.
Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji, clearly waiting for him to say something.
Lan Wangji, however, did nothing. He only waited calmly for Lan Xichen to speak.
Finally, Lan Xichen said,
“I need some advice.”
Wei Wuxian immediately leaned forward, curiosity lighting his eyes as he tried to hear more clearly.
Lan Xichen continued,
“Wen Qing has asked for my hand in marriage.”
Wei Wuxian gasped.
He knew Qing-jie was bold—but this bold?
In fact, he had always thought Qing-jie had no interest in marriage at all.
Lan Wangji gently pulled Wei Wuxian closer to him, making sure he didn’t interrupt or tease at the wrong moment.
“What advice?” Lan Wangji asked calmly.
Across the table, Lan Xichen smiled faintly.
“I am not entirely sure myself. I am still surprised by the offer.”
“Why?” Wei Wuxian asked curiously.
Lan Xichen chose his words carefully.
“I had never truly considered marriage… until Wen Qing brought it up.”
Wei Wuxian blinked.
That was unexpected.
Lan Xichen was the heir of the Gusu Lan sect. If Lan Wangji remained with Wei Wuxian, then the Lan bloodline would not continue through him. That meant the responsibility should fall to Lan Xichen.
A small knot of guilt formed in Wei Wuxian’s chest.
Lan Wangji quietly brushed a hand along his back in comfort. He could tell Wei Wuxian was overthinking again.
“What do you think, Xiongzhang?” Lan Wangji asked, wanting to understand Lan Xichen’s own feelings before discussing further.
Lan Xichen replied thoughtfully,
“I do not have an obligation to produce an heir, if that is what you are asking.”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji acknowledged.
Wei Wuxian blinked again.
Now that was new information.
“Wait—wait,” Wei Ying said, clearly confused.
Both Lan brothers turned to look at him.
“I’m sorry, Lan Zhan, but… Xichen-ge does have a duty to produce an heir, doesn’t he?” he said awkwardly. “Especially since you’re… with me.”
His ears grew red as he finished speaking.
Lan Xichen covered his mouth, trying to hold back his laughter. It seemed that Lan Wangji had never explained the Lan clan’s heir hierarchy to Wei Wuxian.
Lan Xichen glanced at his younger brother, silently asking whether he should explain it—or if Lan Wangji would.
Lan Wangji clearly understood the look. A faint trace of guilt crossed his expression. It seemed he had indeed forgotten to tell Wei Wuxian.
“In the Lan clan,” Lan Wangji explained calmly, “the heir must come from the main branch, but not necessarily by blood. An adopted child may also become heir, as long as their position in the family hierarchy is appropriate.”
Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened in shock.
So that meant…
If he and Lan Zhan adopted a child, and if Lan Xichen-ge had no children—neither born nor adopted—then their child could become the heir of the Lan clan.
That was… an enormous amount of pressure.
Wei Wuxian shook his head quickly, disbelief written all over his face.
“Lan Zhan! I want children, but I don’t want to ruin your sect!” Wei Wuxian said, suddenly sounding very distressed.
“Well then,” Lan Xichen said with a teasing smile, “thank you for doing us the favor.”
Wei Wuxian immediately looked horrified.
“No! No, no, no!” He waved his hands frantically. “Lan Zhan—no! That’s too much pressure! I can’t! I can’t!”
He turned back to Lan Xichen, whining dramatically.
“Xichen-ge, please get married! Or adopt! Yes—adopt a child! Pleaseee!” he pleaded.
Beside him, Lan Wangji quietly placed a steadying hand on his back, watching the entire outburst with calm patience.
Wei Wuxian slowly collapsed forward onto the table, covering his face with both hands.
Beside him, Lan Wangji gently brushed his back in quiet comfort.
After a moment, Lan Wangji spoke.
“Wen Qing is an excellent healer,” he said thoughtfully. “She is firm, responsible, and intelligent. Such a union would benefit the Lan clan.”
He paused slightly.
“But why?”
Lan Wangji glanced toward Lan Xichen.
“It is unusual for the bride’s side to propose marriage first. Normally, it would be the other way around.”
Wei Wuxian groaned quietly from the table, still hiding his face.
“Wen Qing said it is a matter of survival.”
At those words, Wei Wuxian immediately sat upright, his expression turning serious.
“What?!”
Lan Xichen continued calmly.
“Wen-guniang wishes to separate the Dafan Wen branch from the authority of the Qishan Wen. She said she will explain more when we meet in person.”
Wei Wuxian fell silent, thinking.
That… was interesting.
The Dafan Wen territory was actually closer to Cloud Recesses than to the power center of the Qishan Wen Clan.
Even when he had first met Qing-jie, Wei Wuxian had been surprised by her. She was not a particularly strong cultivator, but her medical knowledge was formidable—dangerous in its own way. Wei Wuxian himself had been threatened by her needles more than once.
“Qing-jie is asking for protection?” Wei Wuxian said slowly.
Lan Xichen nodded.
“Through a marriage alliance,” Lan Wangji added.
He paused briefly.
“It is a logical strategy to secure her branch of the Wen clan.”
Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Xichen thoughtfully.
He trusted Xichen-ge.
But he had never truly understood political marriages. The examples he had seen were rarely happy ones. The marriage within the Jiang Clan had nearly torn the entire clan apart, and the scandals surrounding the leadership of the Lanling Jin Clan were practically common gossip by now.
“How would it work?” Wei Wuxian asked curiously.
Lan Xichen considered the question for a moment.
“Political unions are usually based on producing heirs,” he explained calmly.
Then he glanced at Wei Wuxian with a faint smirk.
“Since that is not necessary in this case—”
Wei Wuxian immediately sighed in defeat.
Lan Xichen continued gently,
“—it would likely be more like a friendship… within the form of a marriage.”
“Xichen-ge, please have a child,” Wei Wuxian said desperately. “I feel so pressured right now!”
He waved his hands helplessly.
“I mean—thinking about children… I do want to have a child with Lan Zhan. But then he or she might become the Lan clan’s heir. How am I supposed to raise them?”
Across the table, Lan Xichen suddenly perked up.
“Having a child… as in giving birth?”
Beside Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji’s ears immediately turned red.
Wei Wuxian froze.
A moment later, he realized what he had just implied.
His eyes widened in horror, and he quickly covered his face with both hands.
“Oh no!!”
Lan Xichen looked at both of them patiently.
“It is alright if you would rather not share,” he said calmly.
Strangely, that only made Wei Wuxian feel even more guilty.
Wei Wuxian groaned under his breath.
“…I’m creating a talisman. Or maybe an array,” he admitted reluctantly. “Something that would make pregnancy possible for me.”
Lan Xichen’s eyes began to twinkle with interest.
“Is that even possible?”
Wei Wuxian rubbed his face.
“I already made one that can change my sex—”
He froze.
Another slip of the tongue.
Slowly, he turned toward Lan Wangji, silently begging for help.
Lan Wangji, however, had suddenly developed a deep interest in the scenery outside the window, as if he had nothing at all to do with the conversation.
Wei Wuxian felt his soul leave his body.
He had just exposed everything to Lan Zhan’s older brother.
At this point, he truly wanted to disappear.
Lan Xichen smiled, clearly amused.
“Now that kind of innovation would certainly deserve the sect leader’s attention,” he said lightly. “When your brilliant creation is finished, please grant me the honor of learning more about it.”
Across the table, Wei Wuxian groaned softly, still covering part of his face.
Lan Xichen was very clearly enjoying himself.
***
Lan Xichen now had new relationships to consider.
One was with Wn Qing — the possibility of a marriage alliance.
Based on what Wei Wuxian had told him over the years, Wen-guniang was intelligent, decisive, and someone who spoke her mind without hesitation. From those descriptions alone, Lan Xichen felt that they would likely get along well.
In truth, he was rather curious.
He found himself looking forward to meeting her in person.
The other new relationship was with Meng Yao.
Their first encounter had been brief—when Meng Yao escorted Nie Huaisang to Cloud Recesses. They had only exchanged a few polite words at the time.
So it had surprised Lan Xichen when Meng Yao later reached out to him with intelligence from within the Wen Clan.
They were not close, yet perhaps that short conversation had left a favorable impression.
Now that Meng Yao had been acknowledged by Jin Guangshan, Lan Xichen had made an effort to befriend him. Entering the cultivation world as a recognized member of the Lanling Jin Clan could not have been easy.
Meng Yao possessed remarkable communication skills, but he was still unfamiliar with the customs of the cultivation world—particularly among the elite sects.
He had once served as a deputy under the Qinghe Nie Clan, though the position had not lasted long.
Lan Xichen believed that, with the right guidance, Meng Yao would adapt well.
Lan Xichen was not blind.
He could sense that Meng Yao held a different kind of interest in him—something warmer, perhaps even romantic.
Lan Xichen did not mind the attention. Meng Yao’s admiration was subtle and respectful, never crossing the boundaries of propriety.
However, he also knew that he could not return those feelings.
For now, he chose to let the matter rest unspoken.
Their friendship, after all, was still valuable.
Nie Mingjue had protested at first, but in the end the three of them still swore brotherhood.
With this bond formed, Lan Xichen quietly hoped that whatever feelings Meng Yao might have held for him would fade with time. Now they were brothers—such affection would surely lessen.
At least, that was what he believed.
What Lan Xichen did not understand, however, was Meng Yao’s persistence.
He had heard the story: Meng Yao had once been rejected and even kicked down the long staircase of Golden Carp Tower. Yet despite that humiliation, he had returned again—determined to be acknowledged by Jin Guangshan.
Lan Xichen could not quite comprehend it.
To him, it felt like a terrible pity.
In his eyes, Meng Yao deserved far better than such treatment.
***
Nie Mingjue had protested at first, but in the end the three of them still swore brotherhood.
With this bond formed, Lan Xichen quietly hoped that whatever feelings Meng Yao might have held for him would fade with time. Now they were brothers—such affection would surely lessen.
At least, that was what he believed.
What Lan Xichen did not understand, however, was Meng Yao’s persistence.
He had heard the story: Meng Yao had once been rejected and even kicked down the long staircase of Golden Carp Tower. Yet despite that humiliation, he had returned again—determined to be acknowledged by Jin Guangshan.
Lan Xichen could not quite comprehend it.
To him, it felt like a terrible pity.
In his eyes, Meng Yao deserved far better than such treatment.
***
They were hiding in WangXian’s quarters.
That was what Nie Huaisang insisted on calling it after Lan Wangji’s song—WangXian—the piece he had offered as part of his marriage proposal gift.
Ever since then, Huaisang had taken great delight in calling them WangXian whenever he wanted both of their attention.
Inside the room, Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang were sharing a jar of alcohol, already halfway through it, while Lan Wangji sat beside them calmly drinking his tea.
They spent the time exchanging news and catching up on recent events.
“Oh right!” Wei Wuxian suddenly said, turning toward Huaisang. “Huaisang, I’ve been wondering—why did you specifically ask us to spare Wen Zhuliu?”
He tilted his head slightly, curiosity clear in his eyes.
“You gave a reason back then,” he continued, swirling the alcohol in his cup, “but it was far too specific.”
Wei Wuxian looked at him thoughtfully.
“I don’t see you as someone who gives mercy freely.”
Nie Huaisang flipped open his fan with a soft snap.
“Wei-xiong, I am hurt,” he said dramatically. “What kind of person do you think I am?”
Across from him, Wei Wuxian only smirked and gave him a knowing look.
Huaisang held the stare for a moment before snapping his fan shut and tapping it against his palm.
“Fine!” he exclaimed.
His tone changed, the playful complaint fading.
“We need to know the man behind Wen Chao.”
Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji turned to look at him more seriously now.
Huaisang lightly tapped the closed fan against the table.
“What we’ve been doing so far…” he said calmly, “is only cutting down the symptoms.”
His eyes sharpened slightly.
“Not the source.”
“Meng Yao,” said Lan Wangji.
Nie Huaisang nodded slowly.
“Yeah. I suspect him too.”
He twirled his closed fan lightly between his fingers.
“There was no need to kill Wen Zhuliu,” he continued. “I’ve tested several hypotheses trying to understand why he would do it, but none of them hold.”
Wei Wuxian leaned forward slightly, listening now.
Huaisang tapped the fan against the table.
“Wen Zhuliu never attacked people randomly. He only melted golden cores when he was ordered to.”
His voice turned thoughtful.
“He was essentially just a tool.”
He paused, then added quietly,
“So why eliminate a perfectly obedient tool?”
Wei Wuxian added thoughtfully, “And the timing of him contacting Lan Xichen was oddly convenient—right after Wen Xu escaped.”
Nie Huaisang nodded.
“No one knows you were the one who did that,” he said. “And the Nie clan certainly didn’t share that information with anyone.”
He tapped his fan lightly against his palm while thinking.
“Given that… the only conclusion he could reasonably draw is that Wen Chao’s downfall is near.”
Huaisang leaned back slightly.
“That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
Wei Wuxian tapped his fingers slowly against the table, deep in thought.
Across from him, Nie Huaisang continued calmly.
“And those rumors about you two…” He gestured lightly between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. “They’re not something we should dismiss.”
He flipped his fan open with a soft rustle.
“There were always whispers about your relationship, yes,” Huaisang said. “But rumors specifically meant to drive you apart? Those only started recently.”
He paused deliberately.
“Coincidentally… right after Meng Yao was acknowledged by Jin Guangshan.”
The fan snapped shut.
“And let’s not forget his… interest in you, Wei-xiong.”
Huaisang looked directly at him.
“Jin Guangshan’s first obstacle would be Lan Wangji,” he continued. “Because your relationship gives you protection.”
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Wei Wuxian felt like his head was about to explode.
What did that creep even want from him?
He was nobody.
“I will protect Wei Ying.”
Lan Wangji said it simply, his hand closing firmly around Wei Wuxian’s.
Wei Wuxian immediately melted.
“Lan Zhan~~~”
Across from them, Nie Huaisang nodded, looking oddly satisfied with the display.
“Yes. That’s exactly why we must be careful.”
He folded his fan and tapped it lightly against the table.
“Wei-xiong is a gem right now,” Huaisang continued. “Fortunately, they still haven’t discovered most of your abilities. As far as they know, you’re only talented at… unusual inventions.”
His tone grew more serious.
“I hope we won’t have to reveal too much. Their interest is already this intense.”
Huaisang glanced between the two of them.
“Your engagement is our leverage.”
He leaned back slightly.
“So we’ll let them trap themselves in their own game.”
His eyes sharpened as he addressed them both.
“WangXian… I hope the two of you can manage your tempers.”
A brief pause.
“We’re not in a position to make any mistakes.”