Archive of Our Own

"It is proper to consider marriage, Wangji." Lan Qiren started as dinner commenced. 

Lan Xichen froze in place. He peeked at his brother's blank face, wishing his uncle would have talked to him first before springing this up on his brother. 

"Baba, Baba!" Lan Jingyi called out to him. 

Thankfully, Nie Mingjue grabbed their son's chubby little hand. "What's wrong, A-Yi?" Lan Xichen watched from the corner of his eye as his husband grabbed a piece of youtiao and tore a small piece. "Here, eat some."

Lan Xichen placed his chopsticks down, rolling his shoulders and clearing his throat. Time to play the role of mediator. 

"I don't plan to marry,” his brother said. 

The clank nearby told him his husband must have short-circuited. He peeked at his husband from the side of his eye, seeing Nie Mingjue had frozen for a second too.

"Wangji," Lan Qiren said warningly, putting a hand down on the table. "Don't be rash. You're young and successful, what would people think?" Lan Xichen knew that if there was someone who didn't care about what the world thought of him it would be his brother. 

Ever since they were young, people always had different opinions on them. He was too soft, his brother was too cold—but at the end of the day all they kept talking about was how disciplined and successful their schooling was. Everyone was determined that they would make names for themselves and they did. His brother and he were renowned doctors who were attached to a well-known family of health professionals.

Lan Wangji never cared for any of that. He didn’t want fame, glory or recognition. He was obedient and focused on just doing his work impeccably. He wanted to head into an operation room and come out successful in the procedure he had performed. Even in school, he didn't care about anything but getting his work done just so he could do more work. He knew that had to have been a lonely time for him. 

He cleared his throat. "Shufu—" 

Lan Qiren raised a hand in Lan Xichen's direction, still looking at Lan Wangji. He frowned at being quieted at his own dining table. "Your brother has settled down and now has a beautiful family," Lan Qiren gestured at Nie Mingjue and Lan Jingyi. "Is it not something you yearn for, Wangji?" 

Lan Wangji shrugged, picking up a cucumber with his chopsticks. "It's not of interest to me." That sounds like Wangji, Lan Xichen was a little surprised that his uncle didn't assume his brother wouldn't have ever thought of marriage. 

Lan Xichen could understand where his brother was coming from. Being a Lan meant being taught from a young a list of principles one must follow and all they had was their uncle to enforce these principles. 

He doesn't remember if he ever considered marriage, but it was hard not to when he has always wanted to be with Mingjue ever since they were young. Marrying the man and settling down with him only seemed right to him, but his brother has barely had any friends let alone any romantic affairs. Why would it interest his brother?

Nie Mingjue was busy cutting another piece of youtiao to hand to Jingyi. "How about you try dating? You can never go wrong with that. Huaisang knows all about the dating app..." He sighed in disappointment, "...scene." 

Lan Qiren gasped. "Never! I forbid it! Those things are absurd." 

Lan Xichen turned to look down at his son as if he was checking on and mouthed, "Not good enough for a Lan." 

Lan Qiren glared at the thin air as if the concept of dating apps had spat on his ancestors' graves. "Speaking of Huaisang, how is that going?" 

Nie Mingjue sucked in his lips, sighing again because he knew he couldn't allow himself to lie. "Not... the best..." He had tried threatening his brother to stop bringing his dates over especially after the last one had started stalking Nie Huaisang. "Yeah,  maybe... stay the fuck away from those."  

Lan Xichen smacked his husband's hand. "A-Jue!" 

Nie Mingjue realized his mistake. "Oh shi—shiitake!" He gulped when he saw Lan Qiren staring at him. "A-Yi, want one?" He grabbed some mushrooms into his bowl and showed them to his son.  

Lan Xichen sighed in relief, glancing back at his uncle and brother. 

"It's unnecessary," Lan Wangji decided, continuing to eat, seemingly letting the topic drop. 

Of course everyone should have guessed Lan Qiren would keep going. "Nonsense. Do you think I'd let an app determine who suits you?" Lan Xichen knew it sounded kind of like a sweet thing to say. He had once thought such words were a compliment when he found it had started bothering him when "normal things" didn't seem to suit a Lan. 

Lan Wangji finally stopped eating, narrowing his eyes at his uncle. "What do you mean?" Lan Xichen clenched his teeth, feeling a storm coming. 

"I've compiled a list of worthy candidates within our social circle. You're not the only bachelor out there who is of worth," Lan Qiren explained, smiling proudly at his announcement as if he had cured all the world's problems. "You'll find a suitor for marriage in no time." 

Lan Xichen saw his brother's eyes become more frosty than normal. "Shufu, can we discuss this first? It's a lot to spring on Wangji." 

Lan Qiren craned his neck. "Spring on?" He was the next one to sigh in dismay, shaking his head. "This is something that he should have been considering already." 

"I'm too preoccupied, Shufu," Lan Wangji said. It was the best excuse that even Lan Xichen could come up with. His brother was working at the hospital and took his work seriously. He took on whatever work he could—very workaholic of him—and dangerous. He wished his brother would stop taking on too many shifts. There were other surgeons there, he tried reminding him. 

"Don't fret about it. I've redone your schedule. Every week you'll go on a date with one of the suitors." Lan Qiren looked too proud of himself by the way he continued to stroke his goatee. "I'm anticipating before the year ends, I'll have two nephews married." 

Lan Xichen had been the happiest on his wedding day and it had been one of the most anxiety-ridden times ever. Having his uncle take a large part in help planning it was a blessing. The image of seeing his baby brother having his own wedding day made his heart warm up, but he felt so uncertain. "Shufu, are you sure about this?" 

Lan Qiren finally looked at him, holding the ends of his goatee. "How can I be unsure? I'm trying to set your brother on the path you've gone down." 

Lan Xichen knew his uncle thought what he was doing was sensible and correct. "Yes, but... What if it's not something Wangji wants?" 

Lan Wangji nodded, seeming to have caught on to his words. "Shufu didn't marry." 

Lan Qiren whirled around to face his youngest nephew. "May I remind you when I was your age I was already raising two boys?" 

"I help babysit A-Yi," Lan Wangji pointed out. 

Lan Jingyi lit up at his name being mentioned, gazing at his uncle. "Shushu!" 

Lan Qiren shook his head. "A-Yi is your brother's son, Wangji, that isn't the same." 

"Marriage and children aren't for me."  

Lan Qiren asked. "And you've determined that how?" 

Lan Wangji shrugged nonchalantly. "Meditation." 

Lan Qiren widened his eyes. Meditation was vital to the Lans and now Lan Wangji was using it as a way to get out of this? "Lan Wangji, you will see this through. You're acting like a child who isn't getting his way!"

Lan Xichen would have called that ironic for his uncle to say, but he kept his lips sealed. 

"I doubt it'll get anywhere."

Lan Qiren scoffed. "You won't know unless you follow through with it will you?" Lan Qiren smirked at his youngest nephew. "Do you wish to admit defeat so easily?" 

Lan Xichen placed a hand over his bottom lip, eyeing his brother. If there was one thing his brother didn't like to do was bail out on commitments. 

His brother was inaudible for a long moment. Lan Xichen would have thought he was going to give their uncle the silent treatment, but he hadn't ever done so before. Lan Wangji emitted a long, deep audible breath. He must have come to a decision. "I get to pick the time and place." 

Lan Qiren nodded, a pleased smile on his face. "That seems appropriate." Lan Xichen sighed in relief when his uncle picked up his chopsticks once again. It meant the conversation would be ending soon. "As long as you display the proper etiquette and mannerisms, that's fine." 

Lan Wangji still wasn't eyeing anyone. "... I get to pick who I want to marry?" 

"Yes." Lan Qiren confirmed. He used his free hand to gesture at Lan Wangji. "Each of them have had the necessary background checks and are all of good-breeding. Whoever you pick will have already been selected as suitable for you prior to these dates." 

Lan Xichen cringed at good-breeding. That was a category his brother and he were also in. 

Lan Wangji looked down at the table in front of him and then started to eat again. "Very well." 

His uncle chuckled triumphantly, turning to Lan Jingyi. “A-Yi, do you hear that? You'll be getting a new shushu soon.” 

As naive and adorable as any baby would be in this scenario, Lan Jingyi cheered. “Shushu!” 

He frowned at his Nie Mingjue. Lan Xichen had a feeling that it was going to blow up in someone's face. 

Nie Mingjue had left the room to make a call while Qiren was in the living room playing with Lan Jingyi, so that left the two Lan brothers cleaning up the dining room and kitchen. Lan Xichen wondered how his brother was holding up. 

He called out to him. “Wangji?”

“Xiongzhang?” 

Lan Xichen placed some plates and bowls he had collected into the sink, turning on the faucet. “I didn't expect you to agree with this so fast.” After applying soap on the sponge, he kept it under the water to get wet. “We know how... difficult Shufu can be.” 

His brother shrugged as he brought over the rest of the dishes to the sink. “His pestering wouldn't have stopped if I said no.”

Lan Xichen scoffed, knowing that was accurate. His uncle—most times—didn’t know when to stop. After he started dating Nie Mingjue, all his uncle could talk about was when they were going to discuss marriage. He declared that their relationship couldn't be considered serious unless they were planning on making it "serious" in the eyes of the law. “You've never thought of marriage and having kids?” he asked curiously. 

Lan Wangji didn’t stay silent as he stood at his side. “Did you?” With those golden eyes, his brother looked at him with that serious look that he knew well.  

He sighed happily at the past when his husband and he were only teens. He sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile. “All I knew was that I wanted to be with Mingjue. That's all.” 

Their uncle was close friends with Nie Mingjue’s father—it was no surprise to anyone that they would become close friends. No one was expecting anything romantic to come out of their bond, but it wasn’t unwelcomed either. 

He took one of the bowls and began washing them under the sink. “Married or not—I wanted to be his and for him to be mine.” In their social circle, marriage and love weren’t always meant to intertwine. The only way he was able to find both with Nie Mingjue was because they had been childhood friends first. “Being in love and wanting to get married are two different things, Wangji.”

Lan Wangji pointed out. “Fuqin was in love with Muqin fast.” 

Lan Xichen hummed at the thought of their parents' relationship—that was a bittersweet one. “Love at first sight. I never hear good things about those types of relationships.” Their parents’ relationship proved that to be true. 

Lan Wangji had to be thinking the same thing. “Those seem... disastrous.”  

Lan Xichen was glad that didn’t happen to him. He could only hope “love at first sight” didn’t come for his brother’s heart. “It wasn't like that for Mingjue and I.” He thought of all the time they spent together—being babysat by the Nies, spending summers at each other’s homes, giggling and chatting during classes, comforting the other with the loss of their parents. 

Nie Mingjue knew everything there was to know about him. He knew all there was about him. 

They had seen each other at their strongest and weakest times. It was nice knowing someone who knew you like the back of their hand, and yet being so young realizing that had been frightening. 

One thing he had been certain of was he always wanted to be by his side.”I didn't realize my feelings for him were romantic deep down until high school.” The hardest part had been thinking that he could threaten the closest friendship he ever had with a single confession. It was funny how wrong he had been about it. “We were so oblivious to each other.” He giggled at the memory. “It took a mutual friend to push us together.” 

Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow. “Meng Yao?” 

Lan Xichen nodded, smiling brightly. “He said watching us pine over each other was starting to stress him out.” He laughed gently, moving on to clean the chopsticks. “But even with Shufu's pushing of marriage, Mingjue and I realized we wanted to be tied to each other in any way possible. Even legally.” 

Lan Wangji moved to start drying the dishes that Lan Xichen was washing and placing on the dish rack. “How do you make such a decision?” 

He shrugged. “You just know.” Lan Xichen turned and saw his brother was staring at him like he said the most ridiculous thing in the world. To be fair, it did sound a little crazy. How could you determine something you were unfamiliar with? 

Still, he wasn’t wrong. He had just known when it came to Nie Mingjue. 

“Well, you will.” Lan Xichen stressed. It would sound senseless to his brother, but he knows when the time comes, his brother will know what he wants and doesn’t want. “They should make you feel happy. They'll see things different from you on certain matters—that is very important.” 

Lan Wangji shook his head incredulously. “How does that work? Even when they compromise the Lan principles?” 

Lan Xichen looked down at the dishes he was cleaning. 

He had once thought the marriage would just go smoothly. Nie Mingjue and he wanted the marriage—everyone around them gave the stamp of approval, especially his uncle. What could go wrong?

Their first argument not only reminded him of the kind of person Nie Mingjue was, but how the principles he had weren’t going to be the thing that was going to solve it either. 

“The Nies aren't like the Lans, but I don't think I have to tell you that,” he said with a little chuckle. “Mingjue sometimes doesn't know what an inside voice is.” 

Growing up, he was used to the only sounds that could be picked up was the breathy, pacifying tone of a xiao and the deep, resonant sound of a guqin. During the first few months of their marriage, there had been times when his husband’s thunderous laughter or voice startled him. He had known Nie Mingjue had a blaring voice, but it was different living with him. 

There had been times when he was outright wrong too—times when he might have broken a Lan rule or two. “I learned what jealousy was since Mingjue wasn't always in the same place anymore when we graduated school.” It had been romantic when Nie Mingjue embraced him so lovingly, reminding him that there was no one else in the world for him. 

He eyed the leftover bok choy that he could never convince his son to eat. 

Lan Xichen giggled at how Lan Jingyi had spat out the bok choy when he first gave it to him for the first time. “When A-Yi came along, it felt even harder. He can be a bit of a picky eater.” He grinned when he saw his brother's eyes widen.

“I didn’t understand why he didn’t eat it,” Lan Wangji said, eyeballing the bok choy. Lan Xichen could see the ‘Don’t waste food’ rule replaying in his brother’s mind. 

At first, he hadn’t been too thrilled about his son not eating the food he had placed in front of him. It had hurt his heart that Lan Jingyi didn’t want to eat something he had prepared for him, but all it took was Nie Mingjue to mention that it was just something he didn’t like. 

His brother and he were raised to always eat the food set before them. It did feel weird not enforcing that rule on his son, yet he learned that it didn’t matter. 

“Our differences—we've been able to make it work.” 

Lan Wangji looked down. “It can?” 

For a Lan, it sounded like it wouldn’t. It could.

“Yes, Wangji. You might find yourself respecting the differences more than the similarities at times as well.” Lan Xichen hated arguing, but sometimes his husband pushed his buttons so they could argue. He hadn’t realized how nice it was just saying how he felt rather than keeping it bottled up. “You want them to challenge you and bring the best out in you. See things differently. If you can't improve, you'll just stay stagnant.” 

Lan Wangji mumbled. “How frivolous.”

Lan Xichen chuckled, nudging his brother with his shoulder. “Don't be quick to be done with this, Wangji. Take your time with it.” He didn’t want to end up with someone who would make his brother unhappy. His brother deserved the best in romance, even if he couldn’t see it yet. “Only you know what you like. Not shufu.”  

He noticed Wangji still didn't look the most enthusiastic about this, but he was hoping only good things came out of it. They'd have to wait and see. 

♡    ♡    ♡ 

He was eating lunch with Meng Yao when his brother showed up to work a day after his day off to go on his weekly date.

Lan Xichen had stopped eating his lunch to pull out his phone to show his friend the pictures he had taken of his son. Last week, Nie Mingjue and he had taken Lan Jingyi to pick out a Halloween costume now that October was here. They had gone for a simple costume since it was their son's first Halloween. In the picture, Lan Jingyi was dressed adorably as a bunny as he held a piece of a mooncake. "Doesn't he look so cute?"

Meng Yao smiled sweetly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "He is... Would Er-ge be insulted if I said I still would never have a child?"

"Never," he said calmly, placing a hand on Meng Yao's shoulder. He respected people's decisions to not want children. He had learned that they weren't the easiest creatures to take care of. Taking care of a bunny had not prepared him for what raising a child would be like. "Besides, you have nephews to adore, right?"

"A-Ling has his baba's temper." Meng Yao commented, a little smirk growing on his face. “It has its perks watching the kid throw up on Zixuan-ge.”

Hurried footsteps coming their way could be heard. Lan Xichen looked up and saw his brother had just walked into the hospital cafeteria, making a beeline towards their table. As always, he looked put together as if he hadn’t been working for hours. Lan Wangji gracefully took a seat on the third chair at the table.

“Hello, Wangji,” Meng Yao greeted the younger Lan brother. 

“Meng Yao,” Lan Wangji replied back.

Lan Xichen smiled at his brother, having been curious as to how yesterday’s date went. It was strange not running into his brother during their shifts. Like his uncle instructed, Lan Wangji was supposed to take the entire day off for his date. A whole day meant his brother could spend as long as he wanted getting to know his suitor—it also made sure that he wasn’t forced to leave at a specific time. It was all based on the decisions of Lan Wangji and the suitor. 

He eagerly leaned towards his brother. “How did it go, Wangji?”

“Fine.” 

A weird way to start, but it wasn’t unlike his brother to respond this way. He must have meant he didn’t have a horrible time with his date. 

Meng Yao was more weirded out by the response than he was. “That's it?” 

His brother shrugged. “It was fine,” he said like he was describing what it was like using chopsticks. 

“Was he rude?” Meng Yao asked, unable to hide his interest. 

Lan Wangji shook his head. “No. He was kind and determined.” 

He wondered what it was that Xiao Xingchen did. “What was his profession? A teacher?” Teachers did have to be patient and friendly in order to get work done. Then again, would his uncle have set up his brother with a teacher? That didn’t sound like him. 

“A district attorney.”

Lan Xichen widened his eyes. “That would make for an interesting match.” The only reason he was saying this was because he knows his brother’s schedule. Lan Wangji spent hours at the hospital, even when he should be at home resting. If he married a district attorney—who would have just as crazy hours as a surgeon—when would the two have time for each other? 

Nie Mingjue and he both had large responsibilities with their work. His husband covered his family’s business and he was a neurologist. There was a time when they were both working too much and it came crashing on them both. Their choice to rearrange their schedules for each other was something they both had to do and learn to adjust to.  Since his husband was the head of the company, he did have many subordinates he could have assisted him take the load off his work. And he got the chance to not work so many hours like he used to.

It was for the best since they got to spend time with each other and their son. It was more important than working an extra shift or staying back at the office for another document that could wait the next day. It allowed them to be flexible. 

His brother and Xiao Xingchen would have to fix their schedules to make their marriage work.

Meng Yao continued eating his food. “What turned you off about him?”

Lan Wangji took a few seconds to answer. “Remember Song Lan?”

“Song Lan?” Meng Yao questioned.

Lan Xichen thought back to all the names his brother ever mentioned. Song Lan, Song Lan, Song Lan… He gasped when it came to his head. When his brother was in university, a young man used to tag along with his brother on campus for studying, but they never studied with each other. Not only were they both taking different career paths, but they were both confident in their skills to not need each other’s help. 

Song Lan rarely came by the Lan Residence, but he had met him at least two or three times. He  didn't think there was a possibility of romance between Song Lan and his brother either, but it was nice knowing he did have at least one friend.  

Lan Wangji nodded. “He stumbled into the café. He knows Xingchen.”

Meng Yao awed. “Oh no!” He frowned, making a sympathetic sound, placing a hand on his chest and offering a sad smile. “Let me guess, they're exes?”

Lan Wangji shook his head. “They're boyfriends.”

“WHAT?!” Lan Xichen and Meng Yao shouted in unison. The other people in the hospital cafeteria sent them looks, gossiping a bit before munching on their food once more.

He placed his hands on his mouth. His uncle had made so many claims that he had done background checks on every suitor—was the availability of the suitors ignored? “How did Shufu set you up with someone taken?”

“Their relationship is a secret.” Sensing his brother hadn’t eaten yet, Lan Xichen handed him the bag of apple chips he had brought from home. Lan Wangji took them with a thankful nod. “Xingchen went just to please his muqin.” 

Meng Yao narrowed his eyes skeptically. “Who's his muqin?”

Swallowing down the apple chip he had just eaten, he said. “Baoshan Sanren.”

The two friends ooh'ed together. Baoshan Sanren was a powerful woman that shared the same social circle as the Lans. Her family was as old as theirs—it makes sense that their uncle would think that a son of Baoshan Sanren's would be suitable for Lan Wangji.

“Is their relationship a forbidden love?” Meng Yao asked. 

Lan Wangji nodded. “Zichen comes from a low-status family.” He sighed deeply, leaning back as his shoulders remained straight as a stick. “Xingchen is in the same boat as me.” 

Meng Yao snapped his fingers. “Ahh, how unlucky!” It did sound like an unlucky situation, especially if his brother had the slightest interest in Xiao Xingchen. 

Lan Xichen continued eating, noticing the calculating look in his friend’s eyes. 

“Well... If you really wanted to, Wangji, you two could marry and secretly pursue other people without anyone knowing? It would benefit you and Xingchen.” 

Lan Xichen’s chopsticks fell onto his plate. He slowly turned to Yao, looking at the man like he was a madman. Facing his brother, he could see the gears working in his head. “I do not approve of that, Wangji.”

“It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world, Xiongzhang,” Lan Wangji tried to reason. 

There was nothing reasonable about a lie. 

Lan Xichen glared at his brother. “You'd be lying to Shufu.” He didn’t like the fact that his uncle had planned all of this to begin with, but a lie wouldn’t help anything. 

“He wouldn't have to know.”

He shook his head. “The truth always comes out.” He wanted to bite his tongue for the next words that were about to come out of his mouth. “Lying is prohibited,” he reminded his brother of the Lan rule. 

Lan Wangji silenced. 

He didn’t like using their rules against his own brother. But lying couldn’t be the way to go. 

Meng Yao clenched his teeth, staring back and forth at both Lan brothers. Now, he wished he wasn't here. Smiling widely, he waved at them. “It's something to consider if you need to, right?” It was a crazy plan, but if anyone could see the pros in a plan like this it would be Meng Yao. “Keep that plan in case things go bad, Wangji.”

Lan Wangji nodded, getting up from where he sat. “I’ll continue my work. Meng Yao, Xiongzhang,” he said with a little bow before leaving. 

Lan Xichen couldn’t believe what it was that Meng Yao proposed and the fact that Wangji looked like the idea was perfect was even more unsettling to him. He turned to his friend. “A-Yao! What were you thinking encouraging Wangji?” 

Meng Yao shrugged, taking his cup of tea. “Let's be honest, Er-ge, do you think Wangji will find his match with who Lan Qiren picked?” 

“I... I don't know,” his voice strained. It was too soon to be sure of anything. His brother had gone on one date. “This is the first date he has ever gone on, A-Yao. Isn't it too early to be pessimistic about it?”

“Er-ge,” Meng Yao called out gently. Lan Xichen composed himself, closing his eyes for a second before waving his hand expectantly for his friend to continue. “This is Lan Qiren we're talking about. He tried pairing Wangji with a child of Baoshan Sanren— Xingchen has to worry about her being dismissive of Song Lan, but the two are serious.”

He opened his eyes. It was unfortunate to think that two people couldn’t be together because of other people. 

“What happens if Wangji finds someone who is of a lower status than he? What if he happens to find someone who isn't on your shufu's list?” Lan Xichen noticed how Yao's eyes wandered elsewhere. “Than what?”  

He frowned, knowing the struggles he's endured for being seen as "less than" those who have a higher status than he. “A-Yao, I wouldn't care about that. Whoever makes Wangji happy, I'll be happy.” That’s all he wanted for his brother. 

Meng Yao hummed. “And your shufu?” 

Lan Xichgen had to stop and think. His uncle was difficult  and had his share of opinions especially when it came to matters that concerned Wangji and he. He had never objected to his relationship with Nie Mingjue, but his husband was a Nie—the heir to the Nie family, actually—they were both cut from the same cloth. Sure, it was already good that Nie Mingjue worked hard and had taken over his family's company after the tragic death of his father, but there was a chance that if his husband hadn't been the Nie heir, that his uncle wouldn't have been quick to approve. 

Maybe he was too naive to think that his uncle wouldn't object. “I'm not sure, A-Yao…” His uncle had brought this up because he was worried about how the family would look. 

Meng Yao pointed at him. “If there's a single sliver of doubt in your head that he wouldn't, Wangji might have to consider a fake marriage, Er-ge.”  

He frowned. “I don't like the idea of lying... It feels wrong, A-Yao.” It would mean that he would be lying to his uncle too—there was no way he would be able to betray his own brother and stop him from doing this if he wanted to. 

Meng Yao smirked at him. “If it felt right, no one would do it, Er-ge.” 

♡    ♡    ♡ 

His brother didn't bring up any of his dates again. Because Lan Wangji stopped after three dates.

Lan Xichen found out by his uncle that Lan Wangji had chosen Xiao Xingchen. His skin crawled at what that meant. When he rambled to Meng Yao, his friend tried stifling the proud grin, but couldn't help it.

"I have a bad feeling about this, A-Jue," he told his husband as they sat in their shared bed. His copy of Three Hundred Tang Poems laid on his lap. He couldn't even read the first page of a poem. And he could never deny a classic poem.

Nie Mingjue, who wasn't the type to bother himself with poetry, was on his phone. "Well, Xichen, you can't change Wangji's mind, you know that. Your brother is stubborn as hell." He grumbled at something.

It was true. Even if his brother was down with a rare cold, he still stubbornly tried finding a way to get into work. It took time to convince him he needed to take the day off when he was sick.

"I can't..." Lan Xichen was imagining what would happen if his uncle found out. He wasn't going to be the one to reveal such a secret, but the truth never stayed secret forever. With that reality in mind, what if it caused his uncle to have a heart attack? He could see a possibility where he would have a stroke from such a lie. "It all feels wrong, A-Jue."

His husband scooted closer to him, pecking his cheek. "Y'know it's sweet that you're worried, but this is really between your shufu and Wangji."

"But Mingjue, I—"

Nie Mingjue captured his lips in a kiss. It worked. He was kissing his husband back, deepening the kiss until they were both breathless when they finally pulled away.

Tenderly, his face was being caressed. "You like being the mediator for the family, but if shit hits the storm—and it definitely will." Lan Xichen deflated at that confirmation. It meant there was an even bigger storm coming for them all in the future. Nie Mingjue wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close. "When it does, you just have to let them sort it out, okay? This is Wangji's choice."

"It's a misguided one."

Nie Mingjue gently stroked his arm. "Even if it is, it's him making that choice. What do you think I do when I catch Huaisang doing something I don't approve of?"

"Threaten to break his legs," he mumbled.

Nie Mingjue opened his mouth and closed it before finding the words he wanted to say. "I used to, okay? I don't do it a whole lot anymore."

"I think A-Yi helped with that," Lan Xichen smiled at the thought of their son sleeping soundly in the other room. "You don't have time anymore to scold your brother when you have a baby of your own now." He bet that Nie Huaisang was thankful that he no longer had to worry about his brother watching his every move. 

Nie Mingjue let his shoulders drop. He was used to seeing them get stiff whenever Nie Huaisang was brought up. They were both protective of their younger brothers, but even still Lan Xichen knew it was different for his husband. 

Although he was concerned for his brother, he always had his uncle there with him. After Nie Mingjue lost his father, all the Nie brothers had was each other. 

"He still makes my blood pressure go up when he's up to whatever the fuck he's up to," Nie Mingjue said, gazing down at his phone. Lan Xichen covered his mouth in amusement at the sight of the Instagram account his husband made to spy on Nie Huaisang. 

Lan Xichen couldn't help but wonder. "What's he up to now?" 

Nie Mingjue clicked on something and his screen showed two young men with drinks in their hands dancing to the loud bass at a nightclub. He recognized one as his brother-in-law—who was always dressed so stylishly and always had a fan with him. The guy right next to Nie Huaisang was someone he had never seen before.

He was a beautiful young man whose tips of his eyes and lips typically retain the hint of a smile. A long red ribbon held up the ponytail that trailed past his neck. 

Huh. Perhaps this was someone he matched with on one of those dating apps? 

"A new boyfriend of his?" Lan Xichen asked, happy to take his mind off what his brother was doing. 

"I have no fucking clue," Nie Mingjue said. He growled, raking a hand through his hair. "It is 9pm on a weekday. He WORKS tomorrow! What the hell is he thinking?" 

Lan Xichen rubbed his husband's back soothingly to relieve the stress. "Calm down, A-Jue." 

"He's going to have a fucking hangover, I just know it." Nie Mingjue pointed at the phone as if his brother was there to receive a scolding. 

Nie Mingjue tapped on the phone, another clip of Nie Huaisang and the pretty boy taking shots at the bar. Right behind them there was a guy in a purple shirt, looking annoyed to be there. 

When Nie Mingjue tapped on the screen again, there was a photo of the beautiful boy with the red ribbon smiling at the camera. In text above the man were the words:

My Wei-xiong's bday is on the 31st! Celebrating @ the Impure Realm 4 drinks!!!!

The next thing that popped up was the red ribbon guy doing shots while blindfolded as Nie Huaisang cheered and laughed. 

His husband wasn't wrong. More than likely, his brother-in-law would wake up with a hangover. However, there was nothing anyone could do. "He looks like he's having fun, Mingjue. I don't think you need to worry." 

Nie Mingjue wheeled around with crazy eyes. "Don't need to worry?" He gestured at the phone. "Xichen, look at this! What is he doing with his life? All he fucking does is party and buy things!" 

Lan Xichen would never have fallen into the path that Nie Huaisang had. If he or his brother had, their uncle would have died and haunted them for the rest of their lives. 

Lans didn't indulge in debauchery. He could picture his uncle and brother's faces of disdain if they saw what Nie Huaisang was up to, but all he could do was shrug and smile. 

There were worse things to be doing in the world, right? 

He decided to take a page out of his husband's book. "It's him making that choice, Mingjue, isn't it?" 

When his husband caught what he was doing, he shook his head a little as if he couldn't believe he had been betrayed. "You think this is funny, don't you?" 

It was a bit amusing. He supposes it's hard to compare what his brother was doing with his life versus what Nie Huaisang was doing. Still, they both equally felt reckless. 

He needed time to think. And tonight was not the night. 

"I think we should take a break from talking about our brothers who won't listen no matter what we say," he said, trailing a hand to his husband's thigh.  

Nie Mingjue dropped the phone on the bed, with no intention in picking it back up. Lan Xichen grinned when his husband wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a passionate kiss. 

At least they could let off some steam from their crazy brothers.

♡    ♡    ♡ 

Xiao Xingchen wasn't loud or silent when it came to describing his personality. 

He was a pretty man with a lean build and when he entered the restaurant, he walked like he was stepping on clouds. His eyes shone bright and were gentle. He offered them all a smile when he greeted them. 

And all Lan Xichen could think of was that this man was not only taken, but had some kind of arrangement with his brother. 

Lan Qiren, as ever, never missed a chance to question someone new. "What is it you do, Xingchen?" 

Xiao Xingchen smiled at Lan Qiren. "I'm a district attorney." 

Nie Mingjue was the one to react before Lan Qiren could. "That's some tough work. And isn't an easy job." 

"It isn't.” A small blush spread all over Xiao Xingchen's face, remaining silent for a millisecond. “It’s a lot of work, but it is rewarding when justice has been served. It’s not something you do for money or clout. I want to see actual change being made for the innocent.” 

“As any lawyer should be,” Lan Qiren expressed, closing his eyes proudly, clearly satisfied with the answer Xiao Xingchen had given. Lan Xichen knew how much his uncle admired other people within their social circle who had a calling that the Lan name could be proud of.

Since this was the first time he was meeting his possible brother-in-law, he was frozen. Months ago, he was anticipating that he would be smiley and equipped with friendly questions. How was he supposed to interact with someone who wasn’t actually getting married to his brother?

His lips parted as if he was ready to ask a question, but nothing came to him.

Nie Mingjue grabbed his hand from where he kept it on the table, squeezing it. Lan Xichen thanked the gods every day for blessing him with this man. “Wangji was telling us you two actually went to the same university?” 

Xiao Xingchen nodded his head. “We did.” He giggled, a small blush spreading over his face. “I don’t remember seeing him there.”

“It makes sense.” Lan Qiren gestured at his youngest nephew, the proud look on his face never vanishing. “I would imagine a future doctor and lawyer would have contrasting classes, so the probability of interaction would be limited.” 

“What a small world!” Nie Mingjue exclaimed, leaning back against his chair. 

Lan Xichen watched as Xiao Xingchen turned to Lan Wangji, who was sitting right next to him. “Wangji and I have a mutual university friend, actually.” 

Lan Qiren sat up straighter in his seat, eyeing his youngest nephew. “Is he a surgeon too?” 

Xiao Xingchen kept his face composed, but there was a softness that shone in his eyes. “He's a detective.”

“Do you work with him a lot?” Lan Xichen blurted out. He noticed his brother raising an eyebrow at him.

“I do, sometimes.” Xiao Xingchen, placing his soup spoon down, keeping his hands still on the table. “I work a lot with a lot of detectives when it comes to trials. It is essential when it comes to building a case.”

“How interesting,” Lan Qiren said, stroking his goatee. “Which friend is this, Wangji?” 

“Song Zichen,” Lan Wangji answered without any hesitation, even though Lan Xichen knew his uncle probably wouldn't remember that name. 

Lan Qiren didn’t seem to disapprove of Song Lan by what he knew. Lan Xichen bet the fact that Song Lan happened to be friends with his brother and Xiao Xingchen must mean something good. “You should invite him over, especially since he is a mutual friend of yours and Xingchen's.” 

Lan Wangji looked at Xiao Xingchen. “Zichen would like that.” 

Xiao Xingchen agreed. “He would.” Lan Wangji smiled back at him. 

Lan Xichen watched his uncle watch the pair. It was a tiny interaction between them but he couldn’t stop the satisfied smile growing on his face. It was as if Lan Qiren had done the whole world right for bringing these two together. If only he knew. 

He dug his foot into the floor. Inviting Song Lan would almost be like inviting a mistress over to an engaged couple's house. Is this something the two planned to do if they got married? Would Xiao Xingchen go meet up Song Lan at some designated place and his brother would just fill his schedule with more shifts? Or would they let Song Lan into their house—into their marital bed while Lan Wangji gave the two their space? 

How did this go from trying to find a good spouse for his brother to his brother being in an open-relationship?

Nie Mingjue placed a hand on his shoulder. 

He turned to his husband. 

“It’s going to be fine,” Nie Mingjue assured him, softly stroking his shoulder.

It didn’t feel like it. This arrangement was so odd to him. He would have rather his brother just not got involved with their uncle’s matchmaking game if this was going to happen. 

“This is Wangji's choice,” his husband mouthed at him. 

He nodded his head, moving to place his hand over Nie Mingjue’s. It wasn’t his choice. It was all up to his brother. He had to trust him that this would all somehow work in the end. 

Xiao Xingchen and Lan Wangji had an arrangement, there was no infidelity happening. No hearts would be broken, no misunderstandings to be made. 

“What are you two discussing?” Lan Qiren interrupted his thoughts.

“It's about A-Yi.” Nie Mingjue was the first to look at Lan Qiren’s direction. “Xichen is just worried, Shufu.”

Xiao Xingchen turned to face Nie Mingjue and he. “A-Yi is your son, right?” 

“He is.” Lan Xichen nodded. “He’s a year old.” 

Xiao Xingchen looked back at Lan Wangji and then pursed his lips tightly as if he was unsure whether to say something. 

“Is there something you would like to ask, Xingchen?” Lan Qiren asked, having been watching the young man throughout the whole dinner, would have noticed. 

Xiao Xingchen cleared his throat. “I don’t know if I should.” 

Lan Wangji was the one to give him permission. “Go ahead.”

Since the young man had kept looking at Nie Mingjue and he, Lan Xichen guessed it was a question for them. “I was wondering, how did you both have A-Yi?”

Lan Xichen couldn’t stop his smile. Talking about his son did that to him, even if the story wasn’t as happy. “A relative of mine was in a critical condition and would have left A-Yi behind with no parents.” He squeezed his husband’s hand, Nie Mingjue squeezing it back. “Mingjue and I had been married for two years by then. We had talked about having children of our own.” 

Xiao Xingchen's unsure face had turned into a sad frown. 

Nie Mingjue carried on with the story. “She asked Xichen and I to be A-Yi's guardians. She knew we had a home and wanted kids, so we said yes. And he's been ours since.” 

“That's a beautiful story,” Xiao Xingchen said, a gentle smile returning to his face. 

“Does having children interest you, Xingchen?” Lan Qiren asked. 

“I would like to be a parent,” Xiao Xingchen responded, his eyes staring into the unknown. Lan Xichen could see a dreamy look on the young man—he had a feeling his brother wasn't in that vision. “Muqin adopted me and my siblings. That's what I want to do. Help care for a child who needs a home.” 

“Adoption is an altruistic way to go about having children.” Lan Qiren's eyes wandered elsewhere too, eventually ending up at his nephews. 

When dinner is done and his brother drives Xiao Xingchen home, his uncle is quiet but with a smile on his face. 

Lan Xichen tries not to think too much about it. 

After following them home to see Lan Jingyi, Lan Qiren states, “I believe they're a suitable match, don't you, Xichen?” Lan Qiren looks up at him expectantly. 

Lan Xichen has poured some tea for his uncle and himself. Keeping his hands wrapped around the cup, he agreed. “Xingchen is a fine young man.” 

“As is Wangji.” Lan Qiren glanced over at where Nie Mingjue was holding Jingyi. “Two fine young people make a fine couple—pillars ideal for a fine family,” his uncle said, facing him. 

Lan Xichen smiled warmly at the compliment. “You know how to pick well, Shufu.” 

Lan Qiren's eyes softly crinkled at the corners in a genuine smile. “Yes.”

♡    ♡    ♡

“Achoo!” 

Lan Jingyi raised his chubby hand to wipe at his nose. Lan Xichen took his son’s hand and grabbed a nearby tissue, wiping his son’s nose. “Baba will do it for you, A-Yi.” He didn't want his son spreading germs if he could help it. 

Nie Mingjue entered the living room with a small bowl. “I got the broth!” He sat down on the couch, using the small soup soon to mix the broth. “Too bad A-Yi got a cold on his first Halloween.” 

Lan Xichen gently stroked Lan Jingyi’s head. “I’m just grateful we caught it in time. I would hate it if he had started sneezing when we were out trick-or-treating.”

They had planned the outing for weeks. Lan Jingyi got his costume before the month of October had started and it fit him perfectly. Nie Mingjue and he made sure their schedules were clear for the day so they could spend time with their son. 

Even his brother was going to tag along with him. 

Lan Xichen gasped. “Wangji!” 

Nie Mingjue clenched his teeth, but waved his hand like it didn't matter. “He’ll be fine.” He grabbed the TV remote, switching the news to a movie. “He'll understand.” 

“No, A-Jue.” Lan Xichen shook his head. “I forgot to tell him! I—” 

The door bell rang. 

Nie Mingjue got up from the couch, leaving the broth on the table. “I’ll get it. That’s probably your shushu,” he chuckled while looking at his son. 

When he opened the front door, he was met with the appearance of his brother-in-law—who was dressed very well. He didn't see a duffel with extra clothes like he brought with him when he stayed over. He supposed they could always lend him some.

He pursed his lips. “Hey Wangji.” 

“Mingjue.” After a few seconds went by, Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Xiongzhang?” Nie Mingjue suspected his brother-in-law had expected that they would be ready to go the moment he arrived. 

Nie Mingjue opened the door wider for Lan Wangji to see Lan Xichen and Lan Jingyi on the couch. 

Without needing any instructions, Lan Wangji entered the house, frowning at the lack of the bunny costume on his nephew. 

“What happened?” Lan Wangji walked faster towards the couch, his eyes not leaving his nephew. “Xiongzhang, what’s wrong with A-Yi?” 

“Shushu!” Lan Jingyi pointed at his uncle. “Achoo!” 

Lan Xichen pecked his son's forehead. “Poor A-Yi has a cold, Wangji.” He reached for the bowl, but his brother grabbed it and handed it to him. “I had meant to tell you before.” 

Lan Wangji took a place on the couch right next to his nephew. “I can stay and help.” 

Lan Xichen smiled at his brother. “Oh, you don’t have to, Wangji.” His brother was always trying to help, even when unnecessary. It was endearing most times—other times he wished his brother would relax a bit. “I think we have it taken care of.” 

Nie Mingjue eyed his brother-in-law, forgetting that there was somewhere else he was going to be. Which also meant he hadn't planned to change. “You were actually going to go out trick-or-treating like that?” 

Lan Wangji glared at his brother-in-law. “I was supposed to meet up with Xingchen afterward.”  

Nie Mingjue scoffed. “You mean a fake date?” 

Lan Jingyi pouted. “Fake?” 

“Drink, A-Yi,” Lan Xichen instructed as he gave some broth to his son. The baby happily took it, sniffling a bit right after. Lan Xichen bopped his son’s nose. “Nothing’s fake, baobei.” He didn't need his son spouting anything like that around his uncle or Xiao Xingchen. 

If anyone was going to reveal his brother's secret, it wasn't going to be him.

“Where were you guys gonna go?” Nie Mingjue asked. 

Lan Wangji sighed deeply, looking anywhere that didn't have eyes. “Dinner. Then meeting up with Zichen.” 

Lan Xichen hummed. “You don't seem happy with that, Wangji.” 

“It's not them.” Lan Wangji was silent, his eyes ending up on the ground. “They want to go to a bar.” 

“A bar?” Nie Mingjue laughed. He then pointed at Lan Wangji. “You—Lan Wangji—going to a bar?” Nie Mingjue's thunderous laughter rang like a lion's roar. 

Lan Jingyi started giggling, spouts of sneezes following along. 

Nie Mingjue placed a hand on his stomach while he laughed. “I must have died and joined the afterlife.” 

Lan Xichen grinned. No one would ever find his brother in a bar. “Keep in mind, Wangji, people dress up for the holiday at bars.” 

Lan Wangji's lips curled into a scowl. He was already someone who didn't celebrate Halloween—now to be surrounded by a bunch of people who were in costumes and drunk—this would be quite an adventure for him. 

Nie Mingjue nudged at Lan Wangji with a shoulder. “Have a drink for me.” 

“I will not drink.” 

Lan Xichen had never seen his brother drink before and with how strict he was about following the Lan rules, he could picture his brother standing at the bar with water and scowl on his face. 

Probably picturing that himself, Lan Wangji repeated. “I think I should stay.” 

“You should go out, Wangji. Have fun.” Lan Xichen didn't know of Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen's habits, so he didn't know if his brother would end up being the designated driver or not.

“Your brother’s right.” Nie Mingjue stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stayed standing near the couch. “We were just going to order takeout and just watch the little rabbit.” 

Lan Wangji looked back at his nephew. “I could help here.” 

Lan Xichen didn't want his brother's plans—even if they weren't genuine ones—to be ruined. “Go meet up with Xingchen, Wangji. We’ll be okay, I promise.” 

He watched his brother look at him and Lan Jingyi, unsure on what to do. He simply smiled at his brother. They both knew that these fake dates helped assure their uncle that he was dating Xiao Xingchen. Even if his uncle ever found out Lan Wangji was at a bar, he would be fine knowing that he had been with Xiao Xingchen at least. This date would help protect their lie, especially when there were times when Xiao Xingchen spent much of his free time “doing extra work” which was just hanging out with Song Lan. 

He had heard from his uncle that he would be meeting up with Baoshan Sanren soon to discuss Xiao Xingchen and Lan Wangji’s relationship. Undoubtedly, the topic of marriage would be talked about. 

Nie Mingjue patted Lan Wangji’s back—causing his brother-in-law to send daggers his way. “Let Xingchen and Song Lan know we said hi.” 

Lan Wangji looked one last time at his brother. “Keep me updated on A-Yi?” 

Lan Xichen knows that was the only way he could convince his brother to leave. “I promise.” 

Lan Wangji looked intently at his nephew, petting his head softly. “Take care, A-Yi.’ 

“Shushu!” Lan Jingyi squealed. “Achoo!”   

Lan Wangji smiled at his nephew, getting up and letting Mingjue lead him to the front door. 

Lan Xichen watched his brother head to the front door while he blew on the broth before placing it down for Lan Jingyi, he stole one last look at his brother. Even if he still wasn’t a fan of the arrangement, he hoped in some way his brother could have fun tonight. 

♡    ♡    ♡ 

When five o’clock arrived, Lan Xichen was opening his eyes. He turned to his husband, who was snoring loudly. He smiled down to see Nie Mingjue’s arms wrapped around him. 

He pecked his husband's lips before removing his arms from his waist. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand. 

While he was brushing his teeth, he noticed he had a few messages from his brother. Weirdly enough, they all were sent after ten. 

How odd. Lan Wangji had told him he was going to be out with Xiao Xingchen for at least an hour or two. These messages were sent way past curfew. 

Wangji sent at 10:48 PM 

Xiongzhang, I have to buy chickens. 

Lan Xichen choked on the toothpaste in his mouth. Setting his toothbrush down, he leaned closer to see if he was reading the message right.

His brother wanted to buy… Chickens. 

At ten o’clock at night? 

It made no sense. 

First, his brother was a vegetarian. And secondly, if it was for marriage, it didn't make sense.

Did he want to buy them for Xiao Xingchen? It would be odd since those two weren't in love with each other. If anything, Song Lan would be wanting to buy chickens for Xiao Xingchen, but why would he need Lan Wangji to look into that?

No. It sounded like this was from his brother.

So then, what—or who were the chickens for?

He tightened his grip on the phone, swiping a finger to the next messages that came right after. 

Wangji sent at 10:49 PM 

Xiongzhang, my favorite color is blue, but red looks nice. 

Wangji sent at 10:50 PM 

Xiongzhang, have you ever tried Emperor's Smile? 

Wangji sent at 10:53 PM 

Xiongzhang, did Mingjue buy chickens for you? 

Wangji sent at 11:13 PM 

He smiles beautifully, Xiongzhang.  

Wangji sent at 11:25 PM 

Xiongzhang, I should write a poem about him. 

Wangji sent at 11:26 PM 

Does Mingjue write poems for you, Xiongzhang? 

Wangji sent at 11:40 PM 

Xiongzhang, I need those chickens. 

Lan Xixchen nearly dropped his phone. 

His brother was drunk. It had to be it. 

No one would ever find his brother at a bar, but his brother didn't drink. Had Xiao Xingchen convinced him to drink? 

There was no way his brother could have been talking about Xiao Xingchen with these texts. 

Should he call his brother? If he was drunk, could he have spent the night over at Xiao Xingchen's? He hoped his brother was fine. 

He dialed his brother's number, expecting to get an answer. His brother preferred talking to people directly, but the numbers who he always picked up were his uncle's and his. 

Nothing. 

Lan Xichen looked down at the phone like it had betrayed him. He hurried back into the bedroom where his husband was sleeping. 

He shook Nie Mingjue until he woke up. “A-Jue. A-Jue!” It took about ten shakes before his husband was fluttering his eyes slowly. 

“Huh?" Nie Mingjue yawned widely. He sat up, stretching his arms. "What is it, Xichen?”

“Wangji isn't picking up his phone.” 

Nie Mingjue leaned against the headboard. “Maybe he's asleep still?” 

Lan Xichen pointed at the time on his phone. “It's 5, A-Jue. You know what that means.” 

Nie Mingjue hummed, well-aware of the Lan wake up time. He grabbed his own phone from his nightstand, staring at it. “Why did Huaisang text me?” 

“Huaisang?” Lan Xichen sat down on the bed across his husband. Why were they talking about Nie Huaisang when his brother wasn't picking up his phone? 

Nie Mingjue must have been reading the messages his brother sent since he hadn't looked away from his phone. “Wangji was at the same bar he was at.” 

“He was?” Lan Xichen didn't think he would ever be interested to know more about Nie Huaisang's bar expeditions. “Did he see him leave?” 

“He doesn't say.” Nie Mingjue showed him his message thread. 

Huaisang sent at 8:32 PM 

DA-GE!!!!!!!! 

Huaisang sent at 8:33 PM

U didn't tell me Wangji went 2 bars 

Huaisang sent at 8:34 PM 

I thought he didn't drink 

Huaisang sent at 8:35 PM 

Why is he at the impure realm????? 

Ah yes! Nie Huaisang was going to be at The Impure Realm for his friend's birthday. How funny that his brother ended up where Nie Huaisang was going to be. Did Song Lan or Xiao Xingchen know Nie Huaisang? 

“I think I'm going to stop by his place.” He got up from where he sat on the bed, giving Nie Mingjue his phone back. “I want to make sure he's okay.” 

Nie Mingjue started typing on his phone. “I'm sure he's fine, Xichen.” 

“I know, but I have to be sure.” Lan Xichen bent down and kissed his husband’s lips. “Hold down the fort? I'll let you know when I get there.” 

“Be prepared to find him in a hangover state,” Nie Mingjue teased. 

Lan Xichen shook his head, waving back at his husband. He hurriedly left the house, keeping his phone on high volume just in case his brother called him back. 

From the time he drove away from home to his brother's apartment, he received no messages or calls. He parked and rushed out of the car. He could spot his brother's vehicle in the parking spot he always had it. 

Had his brother been drinking and driving? 

Was someone else driving his brother's car? Did they steal from him? Mess with him at his home? 

With dark thoughts in his mind, he ran to the front door, he took out the spare key he had been given when his brother first moved in. He pushed the door in, entering without hesitation. 

Lan Xichen observed the apartment. 

Everything was put together. No items strewn across the room as if someone was trying to search for money or jewels. 

“Wangji? Wangji?” he called out, walking past the island. 

“Bok-bok, bok-bok, bok-bok!” 

He stopped. Slowly, he turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. A chicken came into view, pecking at the ground where some feed was sprawled across the floor. 

“Uh….” Lan Xichen took a step closer, eyeballing the mess of the feed. Did someone leave the feed just on the floor during the night?

“Bok-bok, bok-bok, bok-bok!” Another chicken came up from behind the first one, walking faster towards the feed. 

“Kung Pao! Bang Bang!” Lan Xichen jumped back at the unfamiliar voice right behind him. 

He spun around, his jaw dropping to the ground. 

A pretty young man—who was shirtless with just a towel wrapped around his waist—stood right in front of him. He tried not to look at the bite marks along the man's collarbone and neck. 

He had a good guess on who did that to him and that just made his face go red. 

“Uh…” He couldn't think of what to say. 

“Hi! Who are you?” the pretty man asked with a friendly, curious tone. He noticed the man was inspecting him as he looked up and down at him. 

He waved at the stranger. “Lan Xichen.” The chickens were getting louder as they continued eating their breakfast. 

The man's eyes lit up, pointing at him. “Oh! You're Lan Zhan's gege!” 

Lan Zhan? 

“Ye… Yes,” he replied, smiling warmly. “That's me.” How else was he supposed to reply? He couldn't wait to share this with his husband. 

The pretty man extended his hand out. “I'm Wei Wuxian!”

Wei… That sounded familiar. 

Lan Xichen took Wei Wuxian's hand, shaking it. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” There were so many questions in his head and his brother wasn't present to answer them. “How… How did you meet Wangji?” 

“At the bar!” Wei Wuxian took back his hand, his smile widening so much his eyes crinkled. “He's so hard to convince to chill, y'know? He wouldn't take a single sip of alcohol until I promised a dance. Which I was gonna ask for anyway,” the pretty man explained, his smile turning into a playful smirk. 

Lan Xichen gulped. He didn't need to guess what came after a dance and drinks. 

“Was my didi by himself?” He didn't know who this man was and didn't want to ruin whatever was between his brother and him. If he mentioned who his brother had been with, who knows where this conversation would go? 

Wei Wuxian nodded. “If he came with anyone, I didn't see them. It was just us when we left.” 

So Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan must have left his brother to his own devices. 

He eyed Wei Wuxian. Could this man have drugged his brother? It was so unlike Lan Wangji to drink, but according to this man he had done so willingly—all to spend time with him. 

Lan Xichen turned around to where the chickens were. This man had been calling out to them. 

He thought of the text. 

Xiongzhang, I have to buy chickens. 

It seems like his brother had. Who was selling chickens that late out at night? He slapped a hand across his face. His brother wasn't a thief was he? 

Light footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up. 

Standing dressed in a disheveled white dress shirt and the dress pants he had worn yesterday, his brother entered the room. 

“Wei Ying,” his brother called out to Wei Wuxian. 

Perhaps his brother didn't notice that he was in the room too? 

He let his eyes wander, gasping when he saw it. Lan Xichen eyed what was wrapped around his brother's neck. 

A red ribbon!  

Lan Xichen looked at Wei Wuxian and then back at the red ribbon. 

Nie Huaisang's friend—Wei-xiong. His brother-in-law’s friend who was drinking crazily with him—

His brother had bought chickens for a crazy, party boy who happened to be friends with NIE HUAISANG. 

He couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped his lips. 

“Xiongzhang?” Lan Wangji finally addressed his brother. “What are you doing here?” Lan Xichen eyed the redness at the tip of his brother's ears. 

Lan Xichen rubbed at his neck nervously, chuckling. “I see you got the chickens.” 

Wei Wuxian nudged Lan Wangji’s shoulders. “I told Lan Zhan it was unnecessary, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He literally pulled over when we drove past someone's home and took them!” 

What would Shufu think? Lan Xichen kept his smile on his face. “Oh Wangji…” 

“Lan Zhan doesn't eat meat, but he said I can do whatever I like with the chickens,” Wei Wuxian rambled, placing an arm around Lan Wangji. “It was very sweet of him though.” 

Lan Xichen chuckled at his brother. “Why the chickens, Wangji?” 

Lan Wangji placed a secure arm around Wei Wuxian's waist, pressing a kiss to the pretty man's forehead, his eyes stoic. “I knew.” 

Oh Wangji. He watched Wei Wuxian smile at his brother. Lan Wangji then looked down at Wei Wuxian, a slight upward curve of his lips. 

Lan Xichen placed a hand over his mouth. 

His brother never looked at anyone with a smile. His once-in-a-blue-moon smiles were reserved for only a small number of people—mainly him and Lan Jingyi. 

This was serious. As if the chickens weren't proof enough. 

It looked like his uncle was right. He would have two married nephews instead of one before this year ends. 

He smiled at the two, taking out his phone. 

Xichen sent at 6:00 AM 

I just met my brother-in-law. 

And no, it isn't Xingchen. 

A-Jue sent at 6:01 AM 

? 

Xichen sent at 6:03 AM 

It's Wei-xiong, Huaisang's friend. 

A-Jue sent at 6:20 AM 

Mr. I'm gonna drink while blindfolded?? 

Xichen sent at 6:21 AM 

Yes. 

A-Jue sent at 6:30 AM 

…. Qiren's gonna have a stroke