Archive of Our Own

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He set his wooden mug down in front of him gently, frowning at the lack of a teacup. Even though he was made to fight evil and protect the innocent in this world, he could never get used to the wooden mugs everyday people used. 

Lan Wangji stole a glance at the letter that had been left by Xiaochun. He had caught a black fox carrying a chicken in its mouth when the white bird had been waiting for him to finish his letter. He had hurriedly done so, not wanting Xiaochun to end up as some animal’s meal. 

His heart had warmed at the message.

Dear Wangji,

Shufu wasn't delighted to see you had left, but we both know your heart goes where the chaos is. Wherever that may be, please be safe.

He had written a response back and let Xiaochun take it back to Gusu. His brother didn't doubt his skills, yet he knew his brother could be highly protective.

Since leaving home, he hadn't come across anything dangerous yet. He believed that something would come up sooner than later.

When he looked up from the letter, there were villagers staring at him bug-eyed as they plopped onto the bench across from him. 

Lan Wangji didn't flinch. This always happened whenever he was away traveling from place to place. All it took was for others to see the white armor of his and his sword, and they came running. 

“You must help us, sir!" 

“It's true, it's true! We are in dire need of help!" 

Most people had a beast that had just strayed far away from home and ended up invading the space of humans.

This was likely one of those times. 

He cleared his throat, meeting the eyes of the villager in the middle. “Which beast is it?" He wasn't going to guess since the world was full of all types of creatures that came and went. He would be guessing all day if they let him. All he needed was the details. 

“Oh sir, the worse of the worse!"

“There is a great evil that resides in the Burial Mounds!"  

“He must be stopped!" 

That was a new one.  

Lan Wangji raised his eyebrows. “He?" No one ever cared to specify the gender of the creature, meaning this was a someone not a something. 

“Yes, he!" 

“He resides in his lair creating awful inventions! Creating vicious spells that'll harm the world! His flute is one of his unholy creations!” 

He raised his wooden mug, letting the tea touch his lips. 

“Have you not heard of the evil sorcerer who kidnaps children?" 

Lan Wangji paused his drinking, immediately placing the mug down. “Kidnaps children?" 

The first thing that would have gotten his attention was “evil sorcerer" but the fact that this stranger was targeting the most innocent beings amongst humans stole his focus. 

Why would a sorcerer kidnap children? What would a sorcerer do with children if not to do something horrible to them? 

“It's true, sir!" 

“The Yiling Patriarch's the worst!" 

The three villagers were sweating bullets as they shook where they sat. Other folk had come over to surround the table. 

He clenched his fist tightly at the amount of people that were too close. Lan Wangji leaned a little closer, his gaze set on the villagers. “That's the sorcerer?" 

“Yes! He has been known for practicing evil magic! 

“No doubt he uses the children he steals for his spells and potions!" 

Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes impatiently. He didn't need to know about how everyone thought this Yiling Patriarch was evil, he needed to know where he could be found. 

“Yunmeng was grateful every day that he had left! But then he ended up coming here to Yiling!" 

So the evil sorcerer had been from Yunmeng? He rarely visited there. The Jiangs, Yunmeng's royal family, reigned over that place. 

“Yunmeng lives in peace not having to worry about such a nightmare but now we are the ones who have to worry!" 

The tiniest part of him wondered of the Yiling Patriarch's past, yet that didn't matter. This fiend had been kidnapping children and doing who knows what with them—why would he care about the person causing these crimes?

Lan Wangji sighed. ​”Was there a recent abduction?" he asked. Maybe there was still some time to rescue the last child that was kidnapped.

​​​​​”Oh yes! Jin Guangshan's youngest son was the last victim!"

“Poor man! What a misfortune to lose one of your sons! Sons are valuable in this world, you know?"

Lan Wangji rose from where he sat, keeping his eyes on the villagers. “Where does this sorcerer reside?"

And like that, the villagers were spouting more nonsense of how evil the Yiling Patriarch was while shoving a map into his hands. It was a tattered map with scribbles and torn off edges, but one thing he focused on was the dark mountains that had skulls scattered around. All the villagers had warned him of how horrible the place was. 

“The Burial Mounds is a cursed place! Perfect for someone as evil as the Yiling Patriarch!” 

“Everyone keeps away from there! No one would dare wander there!” 

“Why risk losing your children?” 

He examined the map. At the corner of his eye, he could see the same black fox he had seen before looking at him from behind a barrel. 

“Shoo, you fox! You best leave now or my husband will put a rake through you!” 

Lan Wangji watched as the black fox ran from the woman who was scolding it. He then turned back to the map. 

He didn't understand how Mo Xuanyu—the son of a nobleman from Lanling—could have ended up being abducted. He had met Jin Guangshan a few times, but had always gotten the impression he stared at other women more often than his own wife. 

It was odd how Mo Xuanyu could have been easily kidnapped. Jin Guangshan would have had armed guards anytime there was a carriage taking his family members to and from places. The villagers had said that Mo Xuanyu had been present on a trip Jin Guangshan had taken with his family to Yiling. One night, the young boy was there and the next he wasn't. It had been Jin Guangyao, Mo Xuanyu's older brother, that reported his brother was missing.

It was never confirmed whether the Yiling Patriarch had taken Mo Xuanyu, yet most villagers had chalked it up to that. Jin Guangshan had apparently sent others to confront the sorcerer but they were never able to get past the barrier that had been set up at the entrance of the mountain.

He stopped in his tracks when he heard light sniffling. The black fox had trotted over to him. He stared at the creature as he continued walking. The chicken that it had way earlier was replaced by something plump and white. It was as small as a steamed bun. Is that what it had caught? He had seen a vendor selling them—perhaps the fox had gotten the chance to snatch one. 

Personally, he didn't understand the desire for meat, but he supposed that was just natural for a carnivore like a fox.

He ignored the curious fox as it followed him. He needed to think about the mission before him.

Lan Wangji was curious as to what type of barrier the Yiling Patriarch had created. Was it a spell? Or a talisman?

Talismans could be easily dealt with since they were physical objects that could be destroyed. Spells were a little trickier and sometimes required a bit more effort.

All the reports he had heard was that Jin Guangshan had only sent men to fetch his young son to no avail.

He wondered if Jin Guangshan had truly tried all he could to get his son back? He didn't have information to deduce whether Jin Guangshan was an actual concerned parent in the world, regardless that wasn't going to stop him from saving an innocent child.

Squeak! 

Lan Wangji looked down to see that the little white bun in the fox's mouth had moved. He gasped, moving his head down to look at what he had thought was a steamed bun. 

There were tiny little legs kicking and the squeaking continued. 

“A rabbit…?” 

The fox looked up at him with a glint of what appeared to be mischief in its eyes before it scurried off. 

“You—!” 

He took a step to chase the fox when he realized that the fox would probably go off and feed its young with what it had caught.

Had the chicken not been enough? Why did it need to hunt for a little rabbit? 

“Don't involve yourself in things that don't concern you, Wangji,” he could hear his uncle’s words in his ears. 

It was the circle of life, he supposed. As unfortunate as that may be. 

He exhaled deeply and shook his head. Why was he bothering with such useless thoughts? 

Upon stepping in front of the entrance to the Burial Mounds, he could sense something different in the atmosphere. There were trees that lined a trail that led further towards the direction of the mountain. Pasted on the trees were pieces of papers with drawings that ranged from a deformed man to a grotesque, hunched-back creature. On all the pages, there were only two words in red: YILING PATRIARCH.

He took another step forward.

"Are you a knight?" 

Lan Wangji looked down at his leg and spotted a child with the cutest button nose who looked as cuddly as a baby rabbit, clutching onto his right leg. 

Who was this random child? 

“I… I…” Even though he didn't have any experience with children, he didn't have any issues with children. He thought they were the most innocent beings in the world—but that didn't mean he knew how to interact with one. 

“Can't you see his armor?” Lan Wangji looked upward to see a young man lounging on a large rock near the entrance of the Burial Mounds. “Of course he's a knight! Can't you see he's big and strong, A-Yuan!” 

Who was this man? 

One would be lying to deny the beauty of him—his dark eyes that retained the hint of a smile on his pale face. He was about the same height as him and he kept his long hair in a high ponytail held by a long red ribbon. 

That smile was too mischievous. 

He narrowed his eyes at the pretty man. He wasn't stupid. 

Lan Wangji eyed the child. “Where are your parents?”

The little boy—A-Yuan glanced over at the pretty man, pointing directly at him. “Baba!” 

Lan Wangji scoffed. 

“Hey!” He turned to see the pretty man—did he really think the man was pretty? The Yiling Patriarch had crossed his arms and was pouting. “You don't believe him? My A-Yuan doesn't lie, tell him, baobei!” 

A-Yuan nodded his head while he still kept his tiny arms wrapped around his leg. “A-Qing Jie-jie says lying is bad…” 

A-Qing Jie-jie? Was this A-Yuan's sister that had been abducted too? Or was she just another unfortunate child that had been kidnapped? 

The Yiling Patriarch got up from where he had been lounging on the large rock, grinning at him. “See? A-Yuan doesn't lie.” The Yiling Patriarch looked at him up and down, raising an eyebrow. “What brings a knight in shining armor here?” 

Lan Wangji didn't look away from the man as he spoke to him. It would be hard when the voice that came out sounded so nice. 

“Knights help people,” he answered simply. 

The Yiling Patriarch craned his head. “Are people in distress in Yiling?” he asked innocently.  

There was no way the Yiling Patriarch wouldn't be aware of the terror he was inflicting on others. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the pretty man. “They fear the evil sorcerer who inhabits the Burial Mounds.” 

“Hmm, an evil sorcerer? I don't know if I know him…” The Yiling Patriarch placed a single finger on his chin. He smiled at him. “Why don't you tell me about him? What do people say?” 

The conversation sounded innocent—as if the pretty man before him wasn't some evil sorcerer who was kidnapping children and performing evil spells. 

Did the Yiling Patriarch live off the terror people spread about him? How shameless could he be? 

Lan Wangji recalled all he had heard from the villagers. “He conducts evil spells. His inventions are harmful.” He peeled his eyes away from the pretty man and landed on A-Yuan who was sucking on his thumb while still holding onto his leg. “And kidnaps children.” 

The Yiling Patriarch gasped, placing a hand on his chest. “He sounds truly horrible!” He moved away a strand of hair like he was brushing off dust from his clothes. “A-Yuan and I thank this knight for telling us of him. Who knows what would have happened to us?” 

A-Yuan pointed at the sword strapped to his waist. “A sword, Baba!” 

Lan Wangji briefly looked down to make sure the child didn't try to grab Bichen. 

“Don't touch it, A-Yuan!” Lan Wangji saw the pretty man take a few steps closer. “Baba doesn't want you getting cut!” The Yiling Patriarch turned towards him. “Maybe the nice knight will let you see it if you ask nicely,” he said, the grin forming into a mischievous smile as if he was teasing him.

“Come eat dinner with us!” A-Yuan exclaimed happily.

“Please, do!” Lan Wangji opened his mouth to protest when the Yiling Patriarch moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t get many guests. People tend to just leave us alone, which is nice, most times…”

“I wonder why,” Lan Wangji commented under his breath. He didn’t move back when the Yiling Patriarch wrapped a hand around his wrist and dragged him forward. A-Yuan had detached his arms and was following right behind him.

With the Yiling Patriarch’s back turned to him, he caught sight of the black flute that was strapped to his back. The villagers had mentioned a black flute that the Yiling Patriarch yielded—there it was. 

What was the Yiling Patriarch waiting for? Was he going to whip it out and use it on him once he brought him back to his lair? Maybe the sorcerer planned to use him as cruelly as he used all the other children he captured.

Weirdly enough, A-Yuan seemed younger than Mo Xuanyu—had he been captured recently then? If the child happened to have no family, it was possible that the villagers in Yiling didn’t know about him. 

The appearance of the Burial Mounds wasn't a shocker when he approached the location. There were archways of trees lined up before you got to the cluster of large mountains. You didn’t have to look directly at the dirt beneath you to see the skeletal remains that littered the ground that were poking out like flowers. He didn't need to guess that the amount of bodies buried there was a large number.

One of the oddest things about the place was the houses that looked more like beaten-up huts that lined the mountain. How could anyone truly live in such a place?

There was a part of the closest mountain where a cave was—he guessed that was where the Yiling Patriarch crafted his devious inventions. 

Lan Wangji took in his surroundings. Perhaps any of the children who were still alive were inside the cave too?

When A-Yuan was about to run over to the pretty man, he stood in front of him protectively and wielded his sword, pointing it directly at the Yiling Patriarch. 

The Yiling Patriarch didn’t seem fazed as he had drawn his flute, the instrument and blade making a clack when they met. “Does this knight want to spar?” he asked, smirking playfully.

Lan Wangji should have wanted to wipe that smirk from the Yiling Patriarch’s face, but how in the world did it suit him so well? Almost like it was a crime to not let this man smirk. “I know who you are.”

“Oh?” The Yiling Patriarch tilted his head. “Have we met before? I would have remembered you,” he said, his eyes darkening with something that almost looked like hunger.

Lan Wangji didn’t want to think about the fact that his ears were possibly reddening at that look. “Yiling Patriarch!” he called out to the man, who simply stood there like he hadn’t been discovered. He needed to focus on the task at hand. “You will cease your crafting of evil things. And you will free the children you’ve kidnapped.” 

“Hmm, how odd,” the Yiling Patriarch raised his eyes up towards the sky. “I don’t recall doing any of those things…” The Yiling Patriarch then looked back at him. “How can I stop doing what I have not done? That puts me in a weird position, doesn’t it, my fellow knight?” 

He gripped Bichen tighter. He wasn't his knight! 

Lan Wangji noticed A-Yuan didn’t seem to want to run towards the Yiling Patriarch anymore, but he went back to holding onto his leg. “Baba, Baba…” the little boy mumbled. 

He looked down at the child. “We’ll find your actual baba, little one.” 

“I am his baba!” The Yiling Patriarch swung his flute to push away Bichen. “Didn’t he tell you himself? My A-Yuan doesn’t lie!” 

“Liar! You kidnap—”

The Yiling Patriarch shook his flute. “I didn’t kidnap A-Yuan.” 

“You must’ve. You’re the Yiling Pat—”

“Wei-ge, Wei-ge!” 

Lan Wangji turned to the side to see a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy who was dressed in what would have been nice, delicate clothes. Instead, now there were some tears here and there and there were missing pearls. A white peony was at the center of the clothes, but it had been torn a bit and the undershirt could be seen. Only the Jins wore white peonies on their clothes. 

This had to be Mo Xuanyu. 

Oddly, the boy didn’t look like the son of a nobleman. His clothes were carelessly taken care of and he had a painted white face and rouged cheeks. Mo Xuanyu also ran over to the Yiling Patriarch as if he were a friend. “Xue Yang took the candy you gave me!” 

Lan Wangji watched as a tall boy, whose canine teeth showed when he smiled, came over, leaning his face a little close to Mo Xuanyu. “I'll give it back to you for a price, A-Yu~” The tall boy was dangling the candy with his left hand where he wore a black glove. 

A-Yu spun around, his face inches from Xue Yang’s. “Why do I have to pay for what was mine?” A-Yu raised a clenched fist in the air at the other boy. “It's my stuff you took!” 

The Yiling Patriarch propped his hands on his hips, eyeing the two boys. “Xue Yang, Mo Xuanyu, we have a guest! Did you forget your manners outside?” It was like he had forgotten that a sword had been pointing at him just seconds ago. 

“Why do we have a guest here?” All of them turned around and saw a beautiful woman with an arrogant expression on her face as fire hid in her ink-colored eyes. 

A-Yuan let go of Lan Wangji's hand and ran over to the woman. “A-Qing Jie-jie!” The child wrapped his arms around her leg. “I found someone!” 

So she was the “A-Qing Jie-jie” A-Yuan had been talking about. She wasn’t a child like Lan Wangji had assumed. 

The Yiling Patriarch cleared his throat, earning A-Yuan’s attention. “We found someone, baobei. I was there too, remember?” 

“Why is he here?” The woman didn't seem to care who had found him. Lan Wangji stared back at her as she glared at him like he was the worst thing to ever exist. “Strangers aren't allowed here.” 

The Yiling Patriarch waved his hand like it didn't matter. “Qing-jie, I invited him.” 

Xue Yang scrunched up his nose at Lan Wangji. “Who the hell is he?” 

“Language, Xue Yang!” Wen Qing scolded the tall boy, then returned to glare at the Yiling Patriarch. “Wei Wuxian! You're insane to bring a stranger here!” 

Wei Wuxian? Lan Wangji eyed the Yiling Patriarch—that was his real name? 

“You don’t need to worry about him, Qing-jie, I promise, okay?” Wei Wuxian tried to placate the woman. “I wouldn’t have just brought anyone here into our home.”

Wen Qing continued to glare at Wei Wuxian and then saved a glare just for him. 

He looked back at the woman, not terrified in the slightest. He supposed he couldn't put it past her for being defensive. He didn't have a clue of the situation, but no one seemed to be terrified of the Yiling Patriarch. 

Wen Qing lifted two fingers and a bright light appeared. A second after the light ceased, he could see a needle in her fingers. “It's on you if he does something,” she said.

Wei Wuxian chuckled nervously, bowing at her. 

Wen Qing moved her fingers and the needle disappeared.  She then bent down to pick up A-Yuan and took him into one of the houses. 

Although having been scolded, Wei Wuxian wrapped an arm around his shoulders, smiling at him again. “Come on, my dear knight, you're here already, no point in leaving.” 

His heart dropped—"my dear knight"? 

He gulped, not knowing whether to focus on how pretty those words sounded on the Yiling Patriarch's lips or how he didn't want to shake off the sorcerer's arms from his shoulders, but he still wanted to know what was going on. 

If he was being difficult, he might not get any information. Wei Wuxian had said he hadn't kidnapped anyone and from what it seemed like, everyone present wanted to be here. 

Even so, Jin Guangshan had been wanting his son back, didn't he? 

He forced himself to let the Yiling Patriarch drag him into the same house that Wen Qing and A-Yuan had gone into. Just as the houses looked on the outside, they matched the inside—poorly made without any detail. But decor and appearances wasn't the reason for these houses being created—they were made to inhabit. 

There were four houses in all. The one that they had stepped into was made into what looked like a kitchen since there was a big dining table, an area where a fire was made with pieces of wood suspended in the air in order for a pot to dangle and boil the contents inside of it. 

Wei Wuxian had let go of his shoulders and headed towards the table. 

He stood at the entrance, watching everyone. Wen Qing placed an excited A-Yuan onto a seat. 

Xue Yang showed Mo Xuanyu a thistle-like plant. “Here. You can make rouge with this.” 

Mo Xuanyu gasped, gently taking the flower that had been presented to him. “Really? What's it called?” 

“Safflower,” Xue Yang said. Lan Wangji noticed how the taller boy leaned close to Mo Xuanyu until their shoulders were touching. The shorter boy didn't mind, even leaning closer. “We wouldn't have to waste any money on a new rouge if you can just make your own.”

Mo Xuanyu glanced upward from the safflower, smiling at Xue Yang. 

Lan Wangji knew there was something going on there. Mo Xuanyu seemed fine interacting with Xue Yang even though he was the one that stole something from him not too long ago. 

Wei Wuxian went to sit down at the head of the table, glancing over at him. “Come over, my fellow knight! We don't bite.” 

“Speak for yourself,” Wen Qing said, placing a little towel around A-Yuan’s neck. 

He hesitantly came over and took the empty seat that was on the sorcerer's left side. 

Right after, someone entered the house. It was a handsome young man with fine delicate features and pitch-black eyes that was setting down a tray with bowls of broth. He looked up and eyed him. “Who… who's this?” 

Wen Qing didn't look back at him as she took one of the bowls on the tray. “Wei Wuxian's guest.” 

“Gu… guest?” 

A-Yuan sat down at the table, pointing at Lan Wangji. “He has a sword!” 

He tensed when he saw the young man look down at where he kept Bichen. He tensed up. “Yo… You're not going to… hurt us ri… right?” 

He eyed Wei Wuxian, who was smirking at him. “He wouldn't dare. Knights don't slay the innocent, Wen Ning. They have a code and all that moral mumbo-jumbo they have to swear to before being knighted.” 

Xue Yang's eyes were also on Lan Wangji. “Can I have a sword?” 

“Absolutely not,” Wen Qing said, taking a seat right next to A-Yuan. “I don't need to patch up someone when you end up stabbing them.” 

Xue Yang didn't seem upset by Wen Qing's response. “Knight-ge can teach me!” 

Lan Wangji didn't glance over at Xue Yang. 

Wei Wuxian picked up his chopsticks, pointing at him. "Knight-ge is too busy getting into unnecessary sparring to teach you anything." 

"No one is picking up a sword." Wen Qing handed A-Yuan a spoon and small chopsticks. 

Lan Wangji tried to not think about the fact that he was still in the abode of an evil sorcerer, even though everyone seemed like they weren't under some devious spell. 

Maybe they were all stuck in some illusion? 

He cautiously took the bowl of seasoned vegetables and added some to his bowl that he had been given. Everyone at the table grabbed at food, placing it onto their dishes and then began eating.

With his chopsticks holding a piece of chicken, Wei Wuxian eyed Wen Qing. "How are those pills coming?"

Wen Qing didn't look at him as she tore off some chicken from a drumstick for A-Yuan. "Wei Wuxian! Do you think you have the right to ask for something to be hurried?"

Wei Wuxian chewed on his chopsticks. "Ah, Qing-jie... I didn't mean it like that..." 

Wen Ning, his hands shaking as he held onto a bowl of broth, cleared his throat. "Jie. We... Wei-gongzi... did... didn't mean it—"

"The answer is they're not ready yet." Lan Wangji couldn't see the harm in Wen Qing's response. When she was done, she would be done, but what type of pills was she making? 

He knew healers crafted pills. He opened his mouth to ask—

"Ouch, A-Yang! Why the hell did you bite me so hard?!" Lan Wangji saw that Mo Xuanyu was wiping at his reddened lips. There was a little bit of blood there. What had happened? 

Right next to Jin Guangshan's missing son, Xue Yang was grinning widely at Mo Xuanyu, licking his own lips. "Wanted to try something new." 

His eyes widened. Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu had been—

"Aiya, you two! We're eating dinner! And we have a guest!" Wei Wuxian lightly scolded them.

Wen Qing sighed and rolled her eyes. 

It is so unlike the Cloud Recesses. During every meal, there was complete silence compared to this dinner. Right after the two boys were told something, they indulged in a different conversation while Wei Wuxian was loudly chatting with Wen Ning. 

How odd. 

A-Yuan put down his spoon, turning to Wei Wuxian. “Can I be a rabbit, Baba?” 

Lan Wangji suspiciously eyed the Yiling Patriarch. What could this child possibly mean? 

Wei Wuxian sighed tiredly, keeping a hand around his cup and placing his other and on top of A-Yuan's head. “A-Yuan, not right now,” he whispered the last part, but Lan Wangji had caught it.

Not right now? So the child would be a rabbit later on?

He had heard sorcerers could craft all sorts of spells, some even allowed them to change their forms. It went to show how dangerous magic could be since there was the idea that it was too powerful for mortals to dabble with.

If the Yiling Patriarch had been turning A-Yuan into a rabbit, what else was he doing?

"Where are you from?" He looked up from his food, meeting Wei Wuxian' eyes. Wen Qing had been the one to ask. She added, "You're not from Yiling." Her eyes glued to the white armor he wore. 

"Oh! Lemme guess, lemme guess!" Wei Wuxian bounced in his seat. "A major fuddy-duddy, in all white as if you were at a funeral, even your armor..." Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes, pointing at his own forehead. "And a headband..." 

All the knights from a different institute wore different colored armor: Lanling wore gold with peonies engraved, Yunmeng wore purple armor with silver bells and lotus emblems, Qinghe wore green armor with beasts decorating their weapons and Lans had white armor with white ribbon headbands with little blue clouds. 

Of course, he was of noble birth so he was familiar with all the colors of the different knighthood institutes. 

Wei Wuxian snapped his fingers. "Gusu!" 

"Mn," he answered. He wondered if there was more to how Wei Wuxian knew how the Lan knights dressed. Many people were made aware of it if they were of noble birth or if they happened to come across those specific knights. 

"I knew it!" Wei Wuxian's eyes widened with sparkles in his eyes. "That's far away from here!" He picked up his cup to sip from it. He bounced in his seat as if an idea popped into his head. "Oh!! Isn't that where the famous Emperor's Smile is made?" 

He scrunched up his nose. He didn't drink. "Mn." 

Wei Wuxian nudged Wen Ning hard enough that the other man accidentally spilt some of the soup from his bowl. "A-Ning, I hear Emperor's Smile is the best liquor ever! Nothing can compete with it!" 

"You drink too much," Wen Qing said. 

Xue Yang placed some turnips into Mo Xuanyu's bowl. "Can I drink?" 

Wen Qing shook her head. "You don't want to become addicted to alcohol like he is." 

"Ah, Qing-jie, c'mon. Life is more fun with liquor!" Wei Wuxian raised his cup back, but Lan Wangji would bet that there was no alcohol in there. He doubted there was tea. 

"How come you're in Yiling?" Wen Qing asked. He would have thought Mo Xuanyu, who for sure wasn't from Yiling, would have stopped eating to look at him. He would have thought the boy would have been interested to hear about going back home.

Jin Guangshan's youngest son was simply accepting pieces of turnips that Xue Yang didn't seem to want.

His eyes landed on Wei Wuxian. "Left to find where the chaos was." 

The Yiling Patriarch grinned at him, snapping his fingers. "I like the sound of that!" 

"Where the chaos is?" Wen Qing asked skeptically.

Xue Yang stabbed the piece of meat that was inside of his bowl. "I think that sounds dumb as hell." 

Mo Xuanyu sent an annoyed look at the tall boy next to him. "You think everything sounds dumb as hell." 

Wen Qing was the only one looking at him seriously. "What chaos are you hoping to eliminate?" 

Lan Wangji had stopped staring at Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian answered for him. "The Yiling Patriarch, of course, Qing-jie." 

Wen Qing snapped her chopsticks with one hand. 

Wen Ning gasped so loudly he ended up choking. 

Xue Yang dropped the piece of candy he unwrapped into his bowl of soup. 

Mo Xuanyu accidentally spilled his cup of water all over his pants. 

A-Yuan was tugging on Wen Qing's sleeve. "A-Qing jiejie!" 

Wen Qing placed a hand on A-Yuan's shoulder. "Wei Wuxian, make him leave!" 

Lan Wangji placed a hand on Bichen. 

Wei Wuxian leaned back even though his chair was just a bottom piece without any back support. "I said not to worry, remember Qing-jie. I wouldn't let him in here if he was going to hurt any of us." 

Wen Qing hissed. "He's here to kill you!"

"He is?!" Wen Ning and Mo Xuanyu shouted in unison.

Xue Yang held his chopsticks like it was a knife. "If you need help taking him down, pass me a knife," he said with a naughty smirk.

Lan Wangji rolled his eyes at the young boy. He would never fight a child who didn't have half the experience he did.

Wei Wuxian sighed like it was a topic that he was tired of going over. "Calm down everyone, please. Let's just eat, 'kay? He's not going to do anything. I won't let him." 

He won't let him? 

Lan Wangji scoffed. He hadn't fought the Yiling Patriarch yet, but he was confident in his chances in defeating the pretty man. 

"Sword!" A-Yuan squealed when he looked away to eye him, noticing he had his hand on Bichen. 

Wen Qing kept her glare at him. "No sword, A-Yuan. It's time to eat," she tried persuading him, scooping up some of the food in the boy's bowl. 

Xue Yang was still smirking at him. "I can help with dealing with this one." Mo Xuanyu nodded his head, a fan of the idea. 

"Enough!" Wei Wuxian commanded, silence following right after besides A-Yuan's happy sounds from being fed. He pointed at each of them besides Wen Ning and A-Yuan. "No stabbing, no cursing, got it? We're all eating dinner right now. Our guest is innocent as of right now, so let's just eat." 

After that, everyone ate. 

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Once dinner was done, the Yiling Patriarch led him out of the house that held the dining table.

"The only reason you're getting out of chores is because he's here," Wen Qing said to Wei Wuxian.

The Yiling Patriarch simply smiled playfully back at her while nervously laughing. "I won't let him do anything, Qing-jie, I promise." 

Wen Qing had turned her back to him as she and Xue Yang started picking up the bowls, plates and cups. 

Lan Wangji kept his guard up as he let the other man take him outside. Wei Wuxian decided to sit on the edge of an abandoned fountain that looked like it hadn't seen water in centuries. The cement pieces of the fountain could be found scattered along the ground. 

"So...." He watched Wei Wuxian toss an apple he fished out from his pocket in the air. "What do you think?" 

He felt like it was too soon to paint a picture on what was going on. It could all be a trap. There was still a chance that everyone was under a spell.

"You're unexpected," he said truthfully. He couldn't say he found the Yiling Patriarch friend or foe. 

His words didn't bother Wei Wuxian as he giggled, catching the apple and taking a bite. "Most people say that," he said with a cheeky grin. He outstretched his hand, dangling the apple. "Want a bite?" 

Lan Wangji just shook his head. The Yiling Patriarch shrugged and kept eating his apple. He decided to scan the whole area, but he couldn't sense anything unusual. The only magic he could sense heavily was the barrier at the entrance of the Burial Mounds. 

There had to be something. 

All the townspeople had rambled all about the Yiling Patriarch and how evil he was. There was no way that there was nothing evil going on here. 

"Hey! What's your name?” Wei Wuxian asked. 

He slowly turned his head, his lips tightening into a thin line. Lan Wangji knew better than to give something that precious away. One of the first things he had been taught when it came to encountering evil sorcery was to avoid letting an enemy have something like your name.

People around the world were told never to give up their names if they were aware they were in the presence of evil. 

“Wangji, never give evil your name. Evil can use it to control you,” his uncle had taught him. 

Names were a precious thing—you didn't want it taken or used against you. 

“Hanguang-jun,” he gave his title to him. 

Wei Wuxian’s smile dimmed for a moment, but it came right back. “Hanguang-jun, Hanguang-jun, Hanguang-jun… I've heard of that name.” 

Lan Wangji wasn't amazed. Even if Wei Wuxian and his little company lived up on the mountain, he would have likely heard of his name. Titles like that weren't just easily given. 

"To hold light, hmm? What a respectable title.” Wei Wuxian had put the apple core somewhere since he was now dangling his flute playfully. His pretty dark eyes landed on his sword. "Does your sword have a name? I know knights like to name their swords."

He didn't know what to make of this man. 

Not only were his deepest thoughts concentrating too hard on how pretty the man looked, but he still hadn't driven Bichen into Wei Wuxian's heart. 

His uncle would be disappointed. 

He kept his hand on Bichen's hilt. That was all he did. He didn't pull out his sword from its sheath like he would have on anyone else who was a threat.

So why hadn't he done it? 

"Bichen." 

Wei Wuxian hummed in interest. "To avoid worldly matters..." He then giggled, using his flute to point at Lan Wangji. "But what about go where the chaos is? Wouldn't avoiding worldly matters be you not following anywhere that houses chaos?" 

He could understand Wei Wuxian's question. "It means to avoid dust too," he said matter-of-factly. Before letting the other man start speaking, he had to ask. “Why did you allow me here? I'm here to kill you.” 

Wei Wuxian put his flute down. “What mattered was that you weren't here to hurt everyone else. That's all I cared about. Once I knew that, I wasn't so worried about you.” 

He didn't know why the Yiling Patriarch would be confident that he couldn't defeat him. “I could've killed you.” 

“I could've killed you too.” 

“Why didn't you?” 

“Why haven't you?” Wei Wuxian smiled so widely he could see his teeth that reminded him of a rabbit. 

Lan Wangji hated this game people played—the back and forth asking of questions. Just answer him! 

Since he didn't think that Wei Wuxian would answer that question, he changed his focus on something else. He eyed the cave that he hadn't been introduced to yet. "What's that?" He kept his eyes on the cave so Wei Wuxian knew what he meant. 

"Oh!! I'll show you!" Wei Wuxian grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of the cave. He stopped right in front of it where a sign was. 

He read the sign. "Demon-Quelling Place?" 

Wei Wuxian chuckled, dragging him into the cave. "It's where I sleep!" 

The cave was wide and there was dirt and a bunch of boulders, smooth and rocky. A long, smooth boulder was covered with a blanket and a bunch of straw being kept in place by a blanket.

Besides all the rock, there were things scattered along the floors like pieces of carved out wood and random scraps of metal. A table with a bunch of little bowls full of powder and little bottles of colorful liquid sat next to a big cauldron and ladle that he knew wasn't for making soup. 

Clinging all over the walls were the same posters of the creatures and beastly men with the headline YILING PATRIARCH and a red X over all of them. 

He stopped in front of the table with the bowls and cauldron. "For spells?"

Wei Wuxian nodded his head, jumping over to the front of the table. "I just made one a day ago!" He grabbed a little bottle that had sparky white liquid. "Check this out! It's used to keep evil away. You sprinkle some on your doorstep and anyone who wants to hurt you won't be allowed in!" 

He took the bottle when Wei Wuxian offered it to him. The liquid inside sparkled like there were diamonds inside. It didn't sound like a bad idea for a spell. 

It's not that magic couldn't be used for good, but many used it for bad. 

So many foes in history have used magic to destroy rather than create. 

"Having magic only allows for others to abuse it!" his uncle once told him.

He eyeballed the other bottles. "The others?" 

Wei Wuxian excitedly bounced on his toes, setting down the bottle and raising up one that had red liquid. It didn't look like blood, but it didn't sparkle either. "This allows the caster to place a single drop onto anything and that caster can control the object." 

He raised an eyebrow. "It's not for controlling people?" 

"Nope!" Wei Wuxian took off the cork from the bottle and poured a single drop onto the ladle on the table. "Stir the liquid in the cauldron!" he commanded. 

Lan Wangji widened his eyes as the ladle was surrounded by red mist. It took three seconds for the mist to vanish once the ladle literally jumped up from the table.

He gasped at the sight as the ladle bounced over to the cauldron until it jumped straight into it with a splash! Some drops of red liquid came out, dirtying the table. He took a few steps closer to see the ladle actually stirring what was inside the cauldron. 

"It's stirring," he pointed out, turning to Wei Wuxian. 

The Yiling Patriarch laughed. "What? Didn't believe me?" He crossed his arms. "Y'know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Hanguang-jun. A-Yuan placed a tiny drop on a turnip and was telling it to go steal some tanghulu. We were chasing after a turnip. It was insane!" 

Lan Wangji stopped the small lift of his lips at the image of everyone trying to chase after a turnip that had been able to travel. 

He looked back at the Yiling Patriarch, tensing when he smiled at him with his cute rabbit teeth. He averted his eyes to the ground where random things littered the floor. "All of this?" 

"Things I made!" Wei Wuxian bent down to pick up a wooden, circular object that had a bunch of little dots engraved onto the center. 

It looked like—

"A compass?" Lan Wangji blurted out.

"You're good at this guessing game! Xue Yang thought it'd make a good candy holder. Qing-jie believed it was to store herbs." Wei Wuxian came closer to show it to him. "But you knew what it was!" The Yiling Patriarch then sent him a dangerous wink that had his heart beat faster. "Great minds think alike, don't they, Hanguang-jun?" 

He cleared his throat. "What's the compass for?" 

"To detect evil! It's perfect for knights like you who are wanting to take down a foe." Wei Wuxian sighed sadly, his shoulders drooping. "It's still not where I want it to be, but... I'm hopeful I'll get it to work eventually." 

He looked at the compass. Something like that would be very useful.

"Want to hold it?" He dared to gaze up at the pretty man. Seeing that smile, he looked down instantly. He didn't understand why he was making so many mistakes today. 

Instead of giving a verbal response, he held out his hand. Carefully, Wei Wuxian gave it to him. His fingers traced over all the ridges and the dots that had been purposefully engraved for the purpose of the compass. His eyes scanned the room where the table was. There were also candles too. 

He could picture Wei Wuxian sitting at the table, getting closer to the flame in order to make sure he was engraving the correct thing. All for a tool that could help destroy evil than make it. 

It was an exceptional tool! So many knights and nations would find this to be an excellent addition. He raised his head when it was like his mouth was stuffed with nian gao that was making it hard to form any words that felt necessary. 

When a student did great at the Cloud Recesses, it was always a nod of approval, but he wasn't in the Cloud Recesses: 

And he wasn't just talking to anyone. 

He was talking to Wei Wuxian—the Yiling Patriarch—the evil sorcerer of Yiling that was pretty, had a rabbit smile, and wasn't actually... doing anything evil. 

What was wrong with him? 

"It... It looks good," he said, extending his hand for Wei  Wuxian to take the compass back. If his brother were here, he knew he would be grinning at him in amusement. 

"Awww, thanks, Hanguang-jun!" Wei Wuxian held the compass with both hands. "I know one day it'll be working and so many knights... like yourself, could really be helped out by it." 

There was something admirable about the fact that Wei Wuxian's invention was made to be used as a helpful tool. He wanted to help. 

"A-Yang! Come back now!" 

"The little brat stole my fucking candy!" 

"LANGUAGE, XUE YANG!"

It's like someone had woken him from a dream. 

He remembered why he was here. How could he let himself forget? 

Wei Wuxian was so captivating it's like he couldn't think of anything else but him. "Magic will cloud your mind, Wangji. Those who wield it will entice you, don't let them!" his uncle once warned him. 

He couldn't let the Yiling Patriarch spellbind him. 

Lan Wangji eyed the outside of the cave where he could hear the others. “You didn't kidnap them?” 

Wei Wuxian laughed. When he turned to look back at the sorcerer, he was still playing with the compass. "I told you I didn't, remember?" 

"Where did they come from?" The only one he knew wasn't some random person, Mo Xuanyu, but who knew about the others? Xue Yang and A-Yuan? Or the Wen siblings? 

“They're strays. Like me." Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the pretty man. 

Strays? Did Wei Wuxian not have any family from before he came to the Burial Mounds? 

"Strays should stick together, right?" Wei Wuxian stuffed the compass into his pocket and scurried over to the table, supervising the ladle. "All strays can have is each other since there's no one or nothing else for us.” 

He supposed it made sense that people who came from similar backgrounds would gravitate towards each other. He lost his parents long ago, but he still had family. He still and always would have a home to go back to. 

A part of him wanted to ask Wei Wuxian what had happened to his family, but he knew better than to pry. If someone wanted to give you personal information, they would. 

Lan Wangji thought of A-Yuan and how young he was. “A-Yuan? How can a child like him be a stray?” 

Wei Wuxian paused what he was doing, looking forward. “A-Yuan is cousins with Wen Qing and Wen Ning.” Wei Wuxian then poured the black powder into the cauldron. “A-Yuan saw them as his siblings. I helped them and he just… grew attached and started calling me baba. I didn't stop him either. But how can you say no to a sweet kid like A-Yuan?” 

Lan Wangji couldn't disagree. A-Yuan was a sweet child. He really did have a nose like a rabbit. 

Even though A-Yuan and the Wen siblings might not have family, he thought of Mo Xuanyu who did. “Jin Guangshan's son?” 

“Someone left Xuanyu abandoned,” Wei Wuxian sent him a knowing look. He then shrugged hopelessly. “I found him starving and cold. So what did I do? I took him back here. He says he likes it here better than Lanling.” 

Lan Wangji knew that even if that might be true, a child didn't know what was best for them. Mo Xuanyu can enjoy living with Wei Wuxian, but he still has a family! 

“The Jins want Mo Xuanyu back,” he reminded the Yiling Patriarch. 

"Did you talk to Jin Guangshan?" 

"No, but—" 

“Then why hasn't Jin Guangshan come for him?” Wei Wuxian scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “He sent his men here, right? Nothing can stop them.” 

Lan Wangji thought of the barrier the villagers were mentioning—he had sensed something. “The barrier—” 

“The barrier I set up wouldn't have kept them away. Jin Guangshan could come up the mountain and take his son if he wanted to. People with good intentions can come up the mountain. Only those people can pass the barrier.” 

Lan Wangji had been able to get through the barrier.

Wei Wuxian had repeatedly mentioned to Wen Qing that he wouldn't have let him enter if he had bad intentions. It was the truth—he didn't want to kill anyone. He was present to save the innocent and stop any evil. So far, he hasn't been needed for either. 

If Jin Guangshan had sent people and they didn't have access, why wouldn't the barrier let them in if they had the desire to rescue Mo Xuanyu in their hearts? 

He looked at the Yiling Patriarch expectantly. 

“Xuanyu said just before they had a huge disagreement with each other. He believes he was purposefully abandoned." 

Heat emerged from within him. Mo Xuanyu was a young and innocent boy, why would anyone do such a thing? "Who?" 

Wei Wuxian shrugged. "Could have been his father or stepmother. He thinks either, but he also isn't certain. But one thing that is certain is that… as cruel as it is… Family can be cruel sometimes.” 

Lan Wangji opened his mouth to protest, but he thought of own parents. 

His mother had killed in cold blood.

His father preferred seclusion rather than seeing his brother and he. 

Although he loved them both and mourned them everyday, he wished things had been different. 

Maybe there was more truth to Wei Wuxian's words than he would like to agree with.

"It's getting late." Lan Wangji could see the sun had already set outside. Wei Wuxian had left the table to walk over to him, "We have some room in one of the houses if you'd like to stay?" 

That wouldn't be a good idea. 

"Thank you, but that'll be unnecessary," he said, inclining his head. 

"Oh," Wei Wuxian said with disappointment. Lan Wangji didn't like the sad pout on the sorcerer's face for more than one reason. "Well... I hope you had fun here. We all did! It's always nice getting guests." 

Lan Wangji believed that they probably never got any guests unless they were another stray Wei Wuxian had picked up. 

Not able to find the words to say he didn't have a bad time, he simply nodded his head. "Goodnight," he said softly. He walked towards the entrance of the cave. 

“Night, Hanguang-jun! Don't forget me! You're always welcome!" He tried to tune out the playful giggles that he could hear from the cave. 

He didn't want to look back at the sorcerer. 

If he did, he worried he wouldn't look away. 

When he was outside, there was no one outside. Everyone had likely headed into their houses to head to bed.

By the time he got back to the inn, any of the townspeople who had been begging him to stop the Yiling Patriarch, were nowhere to be seen. Lan Wangji figured they too had headed home. 

He laid down in bed, washed and dressed in his nightclothes, staring up at the ceiling. 

What was he to do now? 

When he closed his eyes to try and calm his mind, all he could see was that rabbit-smile as those playful giggles rang in his ears. 

He couldn't think about Wei Wuxian. He shouldn't think about Wei Wuxian. He can't think about Wei Wuxian. 

That rabbit smile formed by those pretty lips haunted his dreams.

Perhaps the Yiling Patriarch had placed a spell on him. 

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He woke up before the first light, he got ready for the day and left the inn. He found a deserted area behind the inn to practice his techniques with Bichen.

With one swipe of his sword, he was reminded of the flute that Wei Wuxian had countered back. 

What did that flute do? 

He shouldn't wonder. If there was no evil in Yiling, he needn't stay. 

He hadn’t been around the Yiling Patriarch for long, but there was a nagging feeling within him telling him that there was a higher possibility that there truly was no evil in the Burial Mounds. Why then did the townspeople swear up and down that this man was evil? 

He couldn't head back to the Cloud Recesses. He had left home to find something or someone to defeat. This just meant that he hadn't achieved that mission yet. 

Maybe he should go back to the Burial Mounds. 

Perhaps there was something there hiding. An evil that was being well-hidden.

He stayed in the inn and had breakfast. He waited until the whole town was waking up and opening their stalls when he made the trip back up to the Burial Mounds. When he got to the Burial Mounds, everyone was awake and outside doing something. 

Wen Ning, Mo Xuanyu and Xue Yang were both digging into the ground while Wen Qing would come over and place a seed into the small holes the three young men had dug. 

“Hey, look who's back!” Xue Yang was the first to comment on his arrival. 

Wen Qing looked up at him from after placing down some seeds. “Did Wei Wuxian invite you again without telling anyone?” 

Technically, the Yiling Patriarch had said he was always welcome. 

“More or less,” he answered, earning a scowl from Wen Qing. 

Everyone there called Wen Qing “jie”, so it was clear that she must be the eldest out of them all. Wei Wuxian had said he had taken strays under his wing—he imagined it must have been Wen Qing's choice to bring her family to the Burial Mounds. 

Wei Wuxian had been specific on why or how everyone became strays, but to live in the Burial Mounds where corpses had been buried for years—he would imagine one must be desperate to choose this place to live at. 

Wen Ning was the one to bow at him. “Han… Hanguang-jun,” he greeted him timidly.  

So Wei Wuxian must have let them know who he was. 

He inclined his head towards them all. 

“I suppose as long as you're not here to cause trouble, you can stay.” Wen Qing rose from the garden they were all working on. 

She was smart to be suspicious of him. He couldn't fault her for that.  

Wen Qing didn't stop glaring at him. “One misstep,” she began, picking up her fingers that shone brightly. “And I'll aim a needle at you.” The light in her index and thumb held a sharp needle. 

“I won't cause trouble, Wen-guniang,” he bowed at Wen Qing respectfully. 

Wen Qing rolled her eyes, leaving towards the cluster of houses. 

“Wei-ge is in his cave if you're looking for him,” Mo Xuanyu chimed in, using his shovel to bury the holes they had all just dug. 

Lan Wangji bowed at Mo Xuanyu, moving towards the cave he had just been in yesterday. “Thank you.” 

“Ya think that knight’s back to kill Wei-ge, A-Yu?” 

“You asshole! Why would you say something like that?! I hope to hell he doesn’t!” 

“If he thinks to fucking try something, I’ll make him regret it.” 

“What would you do? Turn him into a frog like you did to yourself?”

Turn him into a frog? 

Xue Yang had the ability to turn others into animals? It shouldn’t be surprising if a sorcerer could do it—if Xue Yang could, Wei Wuxian definitely could. 

If Xue Yang was practicing magic, did that mean the Yiling Patriarch had an apprentice? 

“Why do you make it sound like I didn’t do shit? I did that spell perfectly.”

“Not for me! I had to kiss a frog! That was gross!”

Mo Xuanyu kissed a frog-turned-Xue-Yang? 

“You weren’t complaining afterwards~”

“Silence, you two!” Wen Qing must have decided she couldn’t take all the loud banter between the two boys.  

Lan Wangji tuned out the voices as he entered the cave once more. 

A-Yuan was holding a little bowl in his hands while Wei Wuxian stood in front of the big cauldron—the ladle stirring the contents inside on its own while the Yiling Patriarch was humming as he looked at the two bottles in his hands.

“Baba! Can I be a rabbit now?” the little boy asked, leaning his body against Wei Wuxian’s. 

Wei Wuxian shook his head. “Not right now, baobei. Remember you're helping Baba with a spell?” 

A-Yuan tilted his head back. “What spell?” 

“It's the one to help our garden grow quicker. Don't you want new food to try?” Lan Wangji frowned at the thought that they didn't have access to as much food as everyone else. 

“I'm tired of turnips… Can we have potatoes?” 

“So am I, baobei, so am I.” Wei Wuxian used one hand to ruffle the hair on the boy's head. “Qing-jie says maybe soon we can grow something else. Turnips are the easiest to grow. But potatoes sound good too.”  

“What would you want to grow, Baba?” 

Silence. Lan Wangji watched as Wei Wuxian just froze. It was as if the sun had stopped shining. 

He cleared his throat loudly. Wei Wuxian whipped his head up. A-Yuan gasped, detaching himself from his father, dropping the empty bowls to the floor and making a beeline towards him. 

Lan Wangji stayed still as the little boy dropped down and wrapped his arms around his leg just like he had yesterday. 

This was something his uncle would have never allowed his brother or he to do when growing up. As a Lan, you had an image to uphold. 

A-Yuan wasn't a Lan, though. It was probably normal for a child to act this way. 

“He's accepted you as a part of his life, Hanguang-jun.” Lan Wangji stiffened at those words. Wei Wuxian was grinning playfully at him. “He only holds the legs of those he likes. You should feel accomplished for having gotten such an honor.” 

He wasn't used to interacting with children so the fact that this child had decided he liked him did feel like some kind of achievement. Even if A-Yuan would eventually say goodbye to him soon. 

He tried not to think too much about it. 

Lan Wangji tried walking towards the table, stumbling a bit as he recalled there was a child holding his leg. “What's the spell?” 

“We grow turnips. A portion we sell another portion we keep for ourselves. If I'm able to make a fertilizer that'll make them grow faster, we'll have even more produce! And then once we have so much, we can try to grow other… more tastier things.” 

The idea sounded like a good one, but there were flaws. “What if the turnips go bad? Or if you can't sell the amount you wish to?” 

Wei Wuxian sighed deeply. “Qing-jie said the same thing. I swear, none of you have any faith in me! It's like I'm a five-year-old!”

Lan Wangji scoffed. It felt like he was in the room with two kids instead of one. 

He looked down at A-Yuan, who smiled at him. “Baba said if I help, I can be a rabbit!” 

“A-Yuan! Bath time!” 

Wei Wuxian walked over towards him, pulling up the child so he could stand on his feet. “Go with Wen Ning, baobei,” he said, pecking the little boy's forehead. 

“Kay, Baba.” A-Yuan smiled back at Lan Wangji before running out of the cave. “Coming, A-Ning-ge!”  

Wei Wuxian picked up the bowls A-Yuan had dropped and returned back to the table. 

Speaking of metamorphosis spells, he recalled Xue Yang mentioning he had turned himself into a frog. “Xue Yang practices magic?” 

Wei Wuxian gave a half-shrug. “He wanted to learn. He's the eldest of the kiddos and I noticed he had a talent for it. So I thought, ‘Why not?’” 

Maybe Wei Wuxian didn't use his magic for evil, but was there any reassurance that Xue Yang wouldn't? He thought of Mo Xuanyu and A-Yuan. “He doesn't use it to harm others?” 

“Play tricks, maybe. He doesn't like being bored. Neither do I, honestly. He enjoys being a little terror.” Wei Wuxian laughed at that, pouring what was in the two bowls closest to the cauldron.

Lan Wangji knew it was always best to prepare for the worst. “If he does?” 

“If he does what?” 

He sighed in annoyance. “Use magic to harm.” 

Wei Wuxian finally looked away from whatever experiment he was working on. “Xue Yang probably would’ve done that years ago.” 

He gasped. What did Wei Wuxian mean? If Xue Yang could have done it, does that mean he might not do it in the present?

“Xue Yang had no one to take care of him when he was young. Just a beggar on the streets.” The Yiling Patriarch walked towards the entrance of the cave. He followed right behind. 

Lan Wangji looked out of the cave and saw Xue Yang was tossing little bits of dirt at Mo Xuanyu and A-Yuan. 

A-Yuan laughed, grabbing some dirt to throw at Xue Yang. 

Xue Yang smirked at Mo Xuanyu. “See, A-Yu? Told you it was fun!” 

Wei Wuxian leaned against the cave. “A nobleman had him deliver a message for sweets, just to end up being beaten up by the other person. That cruel nobleman went back on his word and even struck Xue Yang—a seven-year-old at that—with a whip and crushed his hand with his ox cart.”

His eyes landed on Xue Yang's black glove. He would have never been able to guess that there was a story there. He felt a little bit of shame to have assumed or not considered there was more to Xue Yang there. 

“Nefarious.”

Wei Wuxian nodded his head, clenching one free hand as if he was about to punch someone. “It was! Trust me when I found that kid, he was hellbent on revenge. It was… tough. He just felt wronged by this one person who wronged him so bad. He didn’t blame the world on the fact that he had no one and nothing. But that nobleman… He had been cruel to what he did. And he didn’t even try to help Xue Yang.”

It was cruel what this nobleman did, but that anger and resentment—even the desire for vengeance—would it not come back even stronger?

“I made him swear to me that he wouldn’t abuse magic if I taught him. Even I didn’t want to see the kid go down a dark path. He’s behaved himself since.” 

He thought of the needles that Wen Qing was able to summon by just slight movements of her fingers. “Anyone else?”

“Qing-jie knows a little bit, but it’s all for the sake of healing others. That’s what she is—a healer.”

He would have added that the woman was also a fierce protector based on how she eyed him every time she saw him. 

“Do you think… the others will want to learn?” he asked. 

Wei Wuxian laughed. “All A-Yuan likes about magic is becoming a rabbit. Which to me is the least exciting thing about it all.”

How often was Wei Wuxian using his magic to transform a little boy into a rabbit? “How often are you dabbling in metamorphosis?” 

Wei Wuxian clicked his tongue. “Here and there. I use it a lot when I’m hunting.”

“Hunting?”

The Yiling Patriarch nodded. “Y’know for chicken or pheasants.”

He thought of the black fox he had seen yesterday who had been carrying a chicken earlier in the day and then a rabbit later in the day. Had that been him? Was the rabbit he was carrying— 

Oddly enough, Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan had just popped up at the entrance of the Burial Mounds when the fox had gone in that direction, plus A-Yuan kept insisting on “being a rabbit”… 

“What about Mo Xuanyu?” His eyes averted towards the boy whose face was painted white and his rouged cheeks just like yesterday. He must enjoy putting that on. 

Wei Wuxian carelessly shrugged, heading back into the cave. “He’s never expressed interest. He’s more obsessed with his makeup than spells and magic. If he changes his mind, Xue Yang will probably make him his apprentice.”

Based on how inseparable they seem, but the fact that Xue Yang had bit Mo Xuanyu’s lips implied they were both more than friends. “They’re close.”

“Young love, right?” he said with a grin.

He looked away from the Yiling Patriarch’s cute face. He wouldn’t know anything about teen romance. He was hating how now that he was an accomplished grown man was getting distracted by the pretty sorcerer he had just met. 

To not think about those thoughts, he looked at where the Wen siblings were picking plants from the ground. “The Wens?”

Wei Wuxian stopped in front of the table, picking up a bottle with red liquid.“Their relative who was taking care of them was an evil man. Wen Ruohan.”

He gasped at that name. Everyone knew who the nefarious Wen Ruohan was.

 Whether Wei Wuxian thought he knew of Wen Ruohan or not didn’t matter as he kept going. “He was a governor who believed the whole world was beneath him…” He stopped talking for a moment, placing a hand on the table almost to keep him in place. “He and his sons terrorized everyone they could… Anyone who didn’t want to obey them. They feared magic the most. Anyway… when they noticed Wen Qing and Wen Ning weren’t enforcing the all-Wens-are-royalty mentality, they wanted to punish them. Wen Ruohan threatened Qing-jie by saying he’d hurt her family. Qing-jie only lasted a day being Wen Ruohan’s servant when she took her family and ran away.”

It was quite a story since things could have gone horribly for Wen Qing and her family. “Did he ever hunt them down?” 

Wei Wuxian set the bottle down. “I bet he sent someone to, but it never got anywhere. They never found them. They were fine for a while, but then one of the Jins wanted to enslave them. At that time, I knew quite a bit about magic. I helped them escape and they came with me back to the Burial Mounds.

“They needed someone and I was there for them.” Wei Wuxian grabbed the ladle. 

Lan Wangji didn't need to ask about Wen Ruohan. The whole world knew that the man and his sons had been wiped out for being the cruel beings they were. The world was better off without those three. 

It was tragic that everyone at the Burial Mounds had an unhappy life with no one. And they probably weren't expecting someone to try and help them and then fate led Wei Wuxian their way. 

Has fate done the exact same thing to him? 

Wei Wuxian spun his flute around in the air. “Do you have any family?” 

The question was no surprise to him. 

He thought of the Cloud Recesses, with how far away it was from the rest of the world. He could see his uncle with his long goatee and his brother wearing a compassionate smile as always. “My shufu and xiongzhang.” 

Wei Wuxian stopped spinning his flute.“How did they feel when you left to go and stop the Yiling Patriarch?” 

He didn't owe the Yiling Patriarch any explanation. “They just know I'm off defeating some evil.”

The only person whose past was a mystery was the man before him. For some reason, his lips had trouble asking the question. 

“I just have them,” Wei Wuxian said, reading his mind. Lan Wangji caught the sorcerer turning to nod at where Xue Yang was chasing Mo Xuanyu with A-Yuan on his back. 

He watched as Wen Qing was giving a lecture to Wen Ning about not using the wrong plants. He knew that there was once a time when Wei Wuxian had others. “What about your family?” 

“What I had before… they weren't really mine.”

He noticed that Wei Wuxian's smile had frozen on his face. 

What did that mean? His family weren't “his”—had he been taken in too? 

“I've always been a lone wolf.” Wei Wuxian looked away from him, his flute hitting the rock of the cave. His tone lowered, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “I guess it makes more sense that I'd end up with a bunch of others who don't have anything of their own too.” 

There was a painful past in Wei Wuxian's life.  

He wondered what Wei Wuxian's life had been like before, but it was hard seeing Wei Wuxian not all smiley. 

If he asked, that smile wouldn't return. 

He focused on the present. “You all seem happy together.” 

Wei Wuxian’s sunshine smile returned to its rightful place. “They're my family now. They mean a lot to me, Hanguang-jun.”

Even though Wei Wuxian should be the evil sorcerer everyone thought he was, he didn't doubt that the others meant a lot to him. “I can see that.” 

There was a part of him that wondered how this impressive sorcerer had met this fate. 

How could one just leave everything they knew behind and start a completely new life?

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Wei Wuxian had left to run an errand so he was left in the Burial Mounds with everyone else. 

He didn't have to do it, but he was doing nothing after he was done making sure Bichen was ready for whenever he needed to use it. 

So, he removed his armor, and took one of the shovels and started digging alongside Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu. 

A-Yuan sat on the ground playing with the dirt and the piece of straw that he played with yesterday. Wen Ning and Wen Qing were in one of the houses working on something. 

When there was a hole dug, he would tell A-Yuan to add a seed so the child could assist a little bit. A-Yuan found it fun and whenever he wasn't needed, he would play with the remaining seeds. 

Xue Yang had stopped digging to look at the sword that Lan Wangji had sat down near a rock. “I need a sword, I swear.” 

“Why?” Mo Xuanyu looked at him incredulously. “Wasn't that the point of learning magic?” 

“It's never bad to have more than one skill, A-Yu,” Xue Yang said with a wink. 

One thing he had learned about Xue Yang was he really didn't like being bored. He would find some way to be amused. “Swordplay is no game. It's a part of you.” 

An exhausted sigh broke out. “Tian-ah! You're not trying to get Hanguang-jun's sword again, are you?” Wei Wuxian had come back.

They all looked towards Wei Wuxian,  a sack of what he could assume was either a sack of fruit or vegetables in his hands.

He wondered how the Yiling Patriarch was even able to come and go as he pleased down the mountain. Didn’t the people recognize him? He then thought of the pictures that were pasted all over the trees at the entrance of the Burial Mounds. There were pictures of creatures that looked nothing like Wei Wuxian. Part of him wondered if maybe this human form of his he showed was just a disguise. 

He didn't doubt that black fox he saw was Wei Wuxian, but how did he take things with him from the town in that form? 

Mo Xuanyu let the shovel in his hands drop, running over to Wei Wuxian. “Turnips again?”

Wei Wuxian opened up the bag, frowning. “Wen Qing wants us to be turnip farmers. I am not a fan of that idea. If you have complaints, take it to her.”

Mo Xuanyu gulped, shaking his head. “I don’t want to upset A-Qing-jie…” 

Wei Wuxian nodded, raising up the turnip sack over his shoulder. “Best not to. I wouldn’t recommend it.” 

He believed that to be true without a doubt. Wen Qing seemed to be the type of woman you wouldn’t want to cross. He imagined Wei Wuxian had gotten scolded heavily by the woman already for having brought him here. 

A-Yuan, who was sitting closest to him to see his sword, looked up at him. “Knight-gege… are there turnips where you're from?” 

He nodded at the child. The one thing Lans knew the most about when it came to food was vegetables. “Vegetables are mainly what I eat back home.” 

Xue Yang stuck out his tongue. “Gross! Just vegetables?” When he nodded at the boy in reply, Xue Yang kicked at the dirt beneath him. “I'd rather die than eat just vegetables.” 

Mo Xuanyu nudged at him harshly. “Don't be a jerk! Not everyone is like you who only eats sugar, A-Yang.” 

Xue Yang scoffed, raising a mischievous eyebrow at the shorter boy. “Makes my lips sweeter, doesn't it?” 

Mo Xuanyu's face went crimson as he was silenced. 

Wei Wuxian playfully eyed him. “What's your favorite vegetable or fruit, Hanguang-jun?” he asked. 

He didn't think anything of the question, so he answered truthfully. “Loquats.” 

“Apples are the best.” Mo Xuanyu stuck his tongue out at Xue Yang. “Basi pingguo tastes way better than any candy that exists!”

A-Yuan tilted his head curiously. “Basi pingguo?” 

Lan Wangji turned to the boy. “Apples that are covered with sugar,” he said, wrinkling his nose a little bit. Even as a child, he didn't eat a lot of sweets. 

A-Yuan gasped. “Like tanghulu?” 

“Mn.” 

Wei Wuxian agreed with Mo Xuanyu.  “I'd take apples over turnips.” 

Xue Yang scrunched up his face. "Turnips are fu—” 

He glared at the tall boy. “Language.” 

Mo Xuanyu snickered. 

A-Yuan pouted. “I'm tired of turnips…” 

Wei Wuxian went over to ruffle the child's hair. “I am too, A-Yuan.” He smiled brightly, causing the boy to look at him in interest. “I'd grow lotus root if I could, baobei!” 

Lotus root? Lan Wangji wondered where that had come from. 

A-Yuan got up from where he sat on the ground. He turned to him. “What's lotus root, Knight-gege?” 

He froze. He still didn't understand how or why A-Yuan liked him. 

Wei Wuxian gasped. “A-Yuan! Baba's right here, I can tell you!” 

Xue Yang, whose arm was snaked around Mo Xuanyu's shoulders, laughed. “Looks like you've been replaced, Wei-ge!” 

Lan Wangji focused on the little boy. “Lotus root is the underground stem of the lotus plant. You haven't seen a lotus plant before, have you, A-Yuan?” 

A-Yuan shakes his head. 

“They're delicious, baobei!” Wei Wuxian chimed in, deciding to take a seat on the dirt in front of the little boy. “You can make it into a stir fry with Sichuan peppercorns! Oh, that's so good…” 

Xue Yang scrunched up his face. “Spicy stuff isn't that tasty.” 

“Your tastebuds are just weak when it comes to spice. Nothing to be ashamed of, Xue Yang,” Wei Wuxian said with a teasing grin. 

Xue Yang's hand tightened on the shovel. “Who the hell are you calling weak?!” 

Wei Wuxian ignored the boy, glancing back at A-Yuan with shimmering eyes. “You can make them crispy too, but the best use for them is pork ribs and lotus soup!” 

A-Yuan's eyes widened. “Pork ribs and lotus soup?” 

Lan Wangji was amazed by how much Wei Wuxian had fallen into the discussion of lotus root. Anyone would believe his vegetable would be lotus root. 

There was a warmth in those dark eyes. 

“It's the best, baobei!” Wei Wuxian bopped A-Yuan's nose and placed his chin in his palm. “Nothing compares to it…” The smile on his face froze and his eyes became distant. 

Lan Wangji wanted to forbid anyone from talking about lotus root forever if this was the face he had to see on Wei Wuxian.

He opened his mouth, not sure what to say when someone else's voice rang out. 

Wen Qing shouted. “Wei Wuxian!” 

Wei Wuxian woke up from his trance and rose up to look at where Wen Qing was, standing by one of the houses. “Coming!” He shouted back and ran off. 

He watched the pretty sorcerer leave. What was his story? 

He had spent his day helping them with chores until just like the night before, he shared their dinner of broth and turnips and bok choy. 

And like the night before, he was sitting right next to Wei Wuxian staring at the night sky. 

He didn't want to bring it up, but he couldn't get the look of sadness on the pretty sorcerer's face. “Lotus root.” 

Wei Wuxian tensed right next to him. He was digging at the dirt with a random stick he had found. “What about it?” 

“It seems… significant. To you.” 

Wei Wuxian was drawing little figures doing a bunch of things in the dirt—fighting, letting go of lanterns and kissing. “It's nothing, really. Just me getting lost in my thoughts.” 

Lan Wangji looked away from the night sky, wishing the other man would look back at him. “You're lying.” 

Wei Wuxian scoffed, pausing the drawing. “Y'know Hanguang-jun, you're a fraud.” Lan Wangji gasped at that—no one has ever spoken in such a way to him. “Aiya… You want to ask all about me, but I can't ask anything about you, can I?” 

That wasn't fair. 

Wei Wuxian knew he was from Gusu—that was one personal thing. 

The Yiling Patriarch pointed at him fiercely with the stick. “You ask about the people who I have taken in and their stories, but will you show me that same sincerity?” 

The same sincerity? 

He rose from the rock he sat on. “I couldn't trust you.” How could he? He was a Lan—a knight that was raised to defeat evil of all types. 

“Because I'm the Yiling Patriarch, right?” Wei Wuxian laughed bitterly, tossing the stick to purposefully hit the tree right across. He placed his hands on his head. “I am the bringer of evil and despair! Why? Because I'm the Yiling Patriarch! I kidnap children and do unspeakable things to them! Why? Because I'm the Yiling Patriarch! I don't deserve nothing but an excruciating death! Why? Because I'm the fucking Yiling Patriarch…” He let his hands drop until they were trailed to his face where they covered his eyes. 

Lan Wangji froze as Wei Wuxian cried while his shoulders shook. People embraced someone when they were in devastation—he wanted to get up and wrap his arms around Wei Wuxian. 

If Wei Wuxian was in his arms, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone ever inflicting any type of pain onto him. He wouldn't let them.

He had learned that the Yiling Patriarch wasn't what he expected. 

Wei Wuxian was lazy, not wanting to do chores if he didn't have to. 

Wei Wuxian was too loud, he wouldn't be shocked if you lost your hearing if you were to be by his side forever. 

Wei Wuxian wasn't evil. He cared for others who had nothing and no one. They all relied on him. 

He opened his mouth just to close it. What was he supposed to say? He wanted to tell Wei Wuxian that the whole world was wrong about him, but why did that seem like the hardest thing to do? 

Lan Wangji saw Wei Wuxian was sniffing and wiping away his eyes. He didn't want the other man to feel embarrassed. 

“Lan Zhan,” he broke the silence. 

Wei Wuxian looked up at him in surprise. “Huh?” 

He gulped, not used to telling anyone his name. It was always Hanguang-jun. “My name is Lan Zhan. Courtesy name, Lan Wangji.”

Wei Wuxian smiled gleefully and giggled. “Lan Zhan!” 

He tensed when he heard that pretty voice say his name—it didn't sound bad at all to his ears—and that was a concerning thing. “What?” 

“Lan Zhan~” Wei Wuxian singsonged.

He tilted his head. “... What is it?” 

Wei Wuxian shook his head. “It's fun to say. Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!” 

He cleared his throat. His brain told him this was going to be a pain while his heart agreed but for a different reason. How was he going to get used to hearing Wei Wuxian say his name when he didn't know when he was going to hear that voice again? 

“Call me Wei Ying.” 

His light eyes met dark ones. “What?” 

“I can't have you call me Yiling Patriarch all the time—it'd get exhausting.” Wei Wuxian crossed his arms, a proud smile on his face. “Now that we're friends, Lan Zhan, we should refer to each other as such, right?” Wei Wuxian winked at him. 

Lan Wangji hadn't been expecting that. He licked his lips, then tried it. “Wei Ying.” The name was pretty and it suited Wei Wuxian. 

“There you go, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian giggled loudly, relaxing as he sat back down on the rock. “The night is beautiful tonight, isn't it, Lan Zhan?” 

He glanced upward. There were millions of stars above twinkling down at them. They were beautiful, but their shine only made him think of the person beside him. 

“Mn,” he agreed. 

“Look Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian lifted a finger, pointing at the sky. “Wouldn't it be so cool if there was a wishing star that came by? What would you wish for, Lan Zhan?” 

For this night to last for all eternity, he thought, letting the side of his eye steal a glance at We Wuxian. 

Perhaps he would wish for some divine being to set his mind and heart straight. 

He eyed the sky. “I don't know.” 

Maybe Wei Wuxian believed him, maybe he didn't. “I'd wish to continue doing what I'm doing, the safety and health of the others… and to have no regrets.” 

Lan Wangji looked at him completely in the last part—a life with no regrets? Weren't mistakes inevitable? Didn't people despise when they made the wrong choices? 

“A commendable wish,” he commented. 

Wei Wuxian spun to him, his lips cracking into a wide smile as he laughed, nudging him, “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Zhan~ Lan Zhan!” 

If it had been someone else, he would have begged them to stop. 

That night in one of the houses of the Burial Mounds, all he could hear was Wei Wuxian repeatedly saying his name. 

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It was odd being back in Yiling.

He hadn't been expecting to spend a night in the Burial Mounds, but it was late and Wei Wuxian had offered—he should have said no, but he couldn't. 

After helping around the Burial Mounds, he told the others he had to head back to the inn. In reality, he had made his way towards the front of an establishment where a familiar face sat with a bag of turnips. 

Wen Ning called out, waving turnips in the air. “Turnips! Delicious turnips! Well-grown turnips! Turnips, tasty turnips!” 

He saw a black fox playing around with a rock as he walked towards Wen Ning.

Wen Ning lit up when he stood in front of him. “Han… Hanguang-jun! I've been able to sell a few!” he said with sparkling eyes. He noticed that the bag of turnips didn't look like it had been emptied much, but a few turnips was better than none. 

Wei Wuxian whined a bit as he abandoned the rock and stuck his head inside the sack. Quickly, he took his head out and ran off. 

Lan Wangji nodded at Wen Ning. “Good job,” he said sincerely. 

Wen Ning smiled. “Than… thank you, Han… Hanguang-jun!” 

He knew everyone was tired of turnips. Although Wen Qing made it clear they had to deal with having the root vegetables, he knew she had to be tired of them too. He took out his own money pouch and then glanced back at the black fox.  

Wei Wuxian had also expressed being tired of turnips too. 

He stepped away from where Wen Ning was enthusiastically trying to sell the turnips, making his way towards the vendors. It was after he had already had a sack of produce when he noticed that the black fox was following him, tilting his head curiously.  

“Food,” he told Wei Wuxian, opening the sack so the black fox could see inside. “Not turnips.” 

Wei Wuxian checked inside the sack. When he looked up at him, he could swear—and although it sounded impossible—there was a lightness in those dark eyes. If Wei Wuxian was in his human form, he could imagine the pretty sorcerer giving him that bright smile that could make anyone happy. 

He continued walking around the stalls when the black fox ran over in front of him, making a beeline towards the vendor selling steamed buns. 

To test his theory, he walked past the steamed buns, directing his feet towards the stall with the fish when the black fox ran over and started tugging his sleeves back. With a small curl of his lips, he let the black fox lead him towards the steamed bun stall. 

“How many?” the vendor asked. 

He side-eyed the black fox. “Ten,” he said, glancing back at the vendor. There would be extra if anyone else wanted more than one. 

He thanked the vendor and took the small sack of steamed buns. The black fox then grabbed his sleeve again and took him in the direction of the meat stall. 

He wondered how long it has been since any of them have had a collection of food to choose from. When he had eaten with them, they ate soups of thin broth with turnips, napa cabbage and bok choy with a bowl of peanuts. 

Tonight, everyone would be able to eat a feast of different foods. 

After the grocery trip, Wei Wuxian and he were heading back into the direction of the Burial Mounds when someone ran over to them. 

“Sir!” He turned around to see a man who had been there to tell him about the Yiling Patriarch.“Weren't you the one who was hired to get rid of the Yiling Patriarch???” 

Technically, he wasn’t hired. He just took on the job without asking for pay. He himself had made the decision to go and get rid of the Yiling Patriarch while everyone else was begging him to. 

“Mn.”

“Well… have you done it yet?” 

He knew how to respond but he knew better than to just tell the man that the Yiling Patriarch wasn't that bad. Wei Wuxian liked being left alone. “The Yiling Patriarch is powerful.” 

The villager gasped. “Oh great sir, you must be careful! If you can't stop him, no one can!” 

He inclined his head. “I will proceed cautiously,” he said. 

The villager eyed the groceries in Lan Wangji’s hands. “What is all of this? Stuff to defeat the Yiling Patriarch?” 

Lan Wangji glanced at the black fox who had that familiar teasing glint in his eyes* “Mn. I'm trying different methods.” 

The villager got on his knees and kneeled. “Oh great sir, do what you must! Exterminate this evil from our land!” 

He looked away when he felt the black fox tugging at his sleeve—he wasn't going to be slaying anyone anytime soon. “Mn,” he answered as the man bowed and spoke to the ground in mumbled prayers. 

He walked away and followed the fox up the mountain. 

It was odd how a puff of red smoke surrounded the black fox. Once it was completely gone, there stood Wei Wuxian in his all black attire, a light smile on his face—just for him. 

 Wei Wuxian eyeballed at the sacks. “You didn't have to do this, Lan Zhan.” 

“I want to.” I want you to have a good meal, he thought, sad that there weren't any lotus roots he could find.

“Y’know, you seem so cold and distant and maybe a little mean—I bet the whole world thinks that's all you are—but they have no idea how big of a heart you have, Lan Zhan!” 

His eyes went downward to the ground, not used to hearing anyone talk about his heart.“You think so?” 

“I know so!” Wei Wuxian took his hand and dragged him further into the Burial Mounds. 

What would it feel like if their fingers could be intertwined? Would it feel better than just having their hands touching? 

When they made it back, Mo Xuanyu was washing clothes with A-Yuan as Xue Yang was attempting to hang up the finished clothes to dry. The three boys noticed their arrival, their eyes on the sacks. 

The three ran over. 

A-Yuan was the first to ask. “What's in here?” 

Xue Yang’s eyes were widened. “Candy?” 

Mo Xuanyu gently smacked the taller boy. “How is that all you think about?!” 

Lan Wangji clarified for them. “It's for dinner.” 

Wei Wuxian pointed at the boys. “Now, Lan Zhan prepared this all for us, so don't forget to say thank you! He didn't have to do this, but he wanted to.” 

All three of them widened their eyes at him and bowed. “Thank you, Knight-gege!” 

A-Yuan ran over and wrapped his arms around his leg. “Knight-gege is the best!” 

“He is, isn't he? Now all of you finish your chores. Lan Zhan and I are going to get dinner ready. We can eat once Qing-jie and Wen Ning get back.” 

The three boys did what was asked of them and went back to washing and hanging up the clothes. 

He followed Wei Wuxian into the house where they ate dinner. He took out all the produce and started cleaning the vegetables—no turnip in sight. 

He didn't have a whole lot of experience in cooking meat, so he left that job to Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian stopped cooking. “I swear, this meat can really do with some—” 

He fished out a little bottle out of the sack and held it out for Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian curiously took the bottle. “What's this, Lan Zhan?” He removed the lid and let the contents spill into his palm. They were small, pinkish-red, dried husks. Wei Wuxian gaped. “Lan Zhan…” 

“Wei Ying likes spice,” he said. 

Wei Wuxian gawked at the bottle like it was some precious gem. “Lan Zhan… you didn't have to do this, really. The meat and everything else—it's perfect as is!” 

“I wanted to.” He turned away or else he would end up staring at Wei Wuxian's pretty face forever. 

A spicy aroma was starting to waft throughout the whole house as Wei Wuxian cooked the meat. He arranged the bowls with vegetable soup, a plate of steamed buns, bowls of rice and the meat that Wei Wuxian was putting in the middle next to the steamed buns. 

It was about an hour after they had come back from the market when the Wen siblings appeared with a sack. They were about to announce that dinner was done when they saw the Wen siblings. 

Wei Wuxian excitedly ran over to the sack that was in Wen Ning's hands. “Ooo! What's in here?” 

Wen Ning opened up the sack. “I wa… was able to se… sell more turnips!” 

Wei Wuxian dug into the sack and brought out a loquat. “Loquats?” 

Wen Qing rolled her eyes. “You're welcome,” she said before walking away. 

Lan Wangji smiled, knowing that everyone else would be happy to enjoy a sweet treat. 

Wei Wuxian held one loquat and turned to him. “Lan Zhan~ Don't you like loquats?” he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he lifted the loquat to his lips. 

He gulped. Those lips were looking too pretty and tempting the longer he looked at them. He should stop eyeing them. 

Wei Wuxian giggled. “Xue Yang, Mo Xuanyu!” The two boys came running. “Go wash them please,” he said, handing the sack to Mo Xuanyu and the single loquat he had been holding to Xue Yang. 

All of them entered the house with the food, the boys bouncing up and down at the feast. Even Wen Qing didn't have a single complaint as she started plating some food out for A-Yuan and herself. 

As he ate his vegetable soup, he looked around the room. When he had first arrived, he was ready to defeat evil, save who could be saved and leave. 

He had never stayed longer than a day when it came to a mission and if he wasn't hunting, he was in the inn he had paid to stay at. It was a waste of money to not go back to the inn, but it didn't feel so bad when he saw all these faces, especially the one next to him. 

Wei Wuxian was playfully dangling some meat towards A-Yuan. “You must build your spice level, baobei! How are you ever going to be able to handle Baba's cooking if you don't?” 

Wen Qing glared at Wei Wuxian. “Wei Wuxian! He's a toddler!” 

Wen Ning raised his hand. “I ca… can eat A-Yuan's por… portion, Wei-gongzi. So it does… doesn't go waste… wasted.” 

Wen Wing turned her anger towards her brother. “You'll choke on the spice, A-Ning!” 

“Want some spicy kisses, A-Yu?” Xue Yang puckered his lips. 

Mo Xuanyu, who had eaten the non-spicy meat, scoffed. “If you're fine with sleeping outside, then sure.” 

It was just like a family. Not anything like his own. His family didn't talk when eating and they weren't grabbing for and dangling food for someone else to try. 

His eyes landed on Wei Wuxian, who landed back on him. Wei Wuxian smiled widely, nodding at him. He wanted to remind Wei Wuxian he didn't need to be thanked, but instead he let his lips curl a little bit. 

Dinner was done not long after—all the food devoured. 

Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu had gone off to bring the loquats when he took a seat on one of the rocks that was big enough to fit two people. Wei Wuxian sat next to him. 

He caught Wei Wuxian watching the scene of everyone happily chatting while Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu played a game with A-Yuan. “Thank you for today, Lan Zhan.”

“A thanks is unnecessary.” 

Wei Wuxian asked. “How? You brought a smile on all their faces. And you didn't need to. How can no one thank you?” 

“You all should smile.” Wei Ying especially, he wanted to say. 

“You're kinder than people think you are, y’know?” 

Lan Wangji grabbed the small jug of liquor from his satchel. He held it out for him. “For Wei Ying.” 

Wei Wuxian gasped and took the small jug securely into his hands. “Lan Zhan, you really didn't have—” 

“I wanted to,” he said, not feeling irritated that he had been repeating himself. If he had to do it again, he still wouldn't be mad. 

“You're the best, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian removed the lid and drank. 

He moved his hair over his ears as he swears, they must have been pink. Seeing how happy Wei Wuxian was, he would have given him all the liquor in the world. 

He thought of Wei Wuxian’s desire for lotus root. It had been one of the main things he had been searching for. “I wanted to find lotus roots. I was unsuccessful.” 

“Don't worry about it, Lan Zhan. You got me liquor—I wasn't expecting that!” And he drank some more of his alcohol jug.  

He couldn't stop himself from bringing it up. 

“Lakes of lotus enclose Yunmeng. That's your home.” He already knew this, but it would be different hearing Wei Wuxian saying it. 

Wei Wuxian took a long sip from the liquor he had left. He set down the alcohol. “Yiling isn’t my home. Many people think so cause of the title but I actually lived in Lotus Pier for most of my life.” 

He recalled the townspeople saying that Yunmeng was lucky for no longer having to deal with the evil sorcerer but were sad that it was now Yiling's problem. 

The family that Wei Wuxian had before must have been from Yunmeng.

Wei Wuxian raised his head to eye the night sky. “My parents… they died when I was young. I was a beggar until Jiang Fengmian found me.” A sweet smile that mirrored a child’s love for a parent made its way to his face. “He was a friend of my parents—so I called him Uncle Jiang. He took me back to his home. When I had no one—just my name and the clothes on my back, he decided to take me in. He didn't have to. He didn't owe my parents anything. But he did. For that, I will always be grateful to him. I'd probably be dead if it hadn't been for him. 

“Madam Yu Ziyuan, his wife, wasn't a fan of me,” Wei Wuxian’s smile froze for a split second before it became warm again. “But her kids… they loved me and I loved them. I had a jie and didi. They weren't really mine, but it was like they were. Uncle Jiang wasn't my die, but he was the only male figure I had.” 

In his head, Lan Wangji could imagine three young children smiling as they wore the Jiang purple colors. 

“Things were fine until they weren't. We were all happy together until… until the Wens.” Lan Wangji remembered the Wens being a part of Wen Qing’s story—it surprised him a bit that the Wens would be a problem in Wei Wuxian’s life too. “They were starting trouble, especially Wen Ruohan's damn sons. Wen Chao wanted to act like a big dog. When Uncle Jiang refused… he had him…”

Wei Wuxian’s hand trembled while his bottom lip quivered. Lan Wangji didn't need him to explain what he knew happened to Jiang Fengmian. 

He wasn't present when his own father died. It hurt when his last parent had left this world, but he had a feeling Wei Wuxian had been there to see Jiang Fengmian be killed by Wen Chao. 

He wouldn't wish that on anyone. 

Wei Wuxian sniffled, using his free hand to brush away a strand of hair from his face. “It was then just the four of us. I had found an ancient book on learning magic. So I experimented with it. I wanted to figure out a way to stop Wen Chao.” Wei Wuxian raised his hand that was holding his flute. “I cut up bamboo, took a piece—Chengqing would become my tool to harness my magic. The next time Wen Chao came, I used it. I killed Wen Ruohan's beloved lapdog, Wen Zhuliu, and I killed Wen Chao. He had taken Uncle Jiang from us… so it made sense to make him pay.”

He didn't know the story as to how Wen Zhuliu went into servitude for Wen Ruohan, but the man was as cruel as his master.  

Wei Wuxian sighed deeply. “I felt good about it. Making him suffer. Making him scream and beg for mercy—mercy he hadn't given to Uncle Jiang. Right after, it all felt like balance was in the world. Everyone in Yunmeng had seen the true evil being defeated. Shijie and Jiang Cheng… They looked at me with relief. 

Everyone else… Everyone else wasn't as delighted. They were terrified. They were praying to the gods and immortals to save their town. They begged for evil to be exterminated. I should have known that that wasn't a good sign. I was just happy to have gotten revenge. Shijie and Jiang Cheng thanked me and dragged me back home. 

Days went by, and every time I went out, someone always had something to say. Some would call me evil. Some would say I deserve death for how I killed Wen Chao. Others would gossip that I was no longer Wei Wuxian—that I was some ferocious beast that would end Lotus Pier. I tried not to believe them. Shijie and Jiang Cheng said not to listen to them. 

Then one night… Madam Yu wishes to speak to me. She doesn't thank me for avenging Uncle Jiang… instead, she scolds me. She says how the townspeople are terrified of me. That they don't want to see me—that I should be locked away and never see the sun. Madam Yu doesn't ask me about my opinion in it all—but she says how she is relieved that Wen Chao isn't alive to torment people. 

And then she says that the people will see the Jiangs as witnesses to the evil I may bring…” 

Lan Wangji knew at some point the story would lead to Wei Wuxian no longer being home—this had to be it. How cruel had Wei Wuxian been to make everyone turn on him? “How did you kill Wen Chao?” 

Wei Wuxian was silent for a moment, and didn't look at him. Lan Wangji could see a sinister smile on his face. “I won't lie to you, Lan Zhan. I tortured Wen Chao. I wanted him to feel so much pain. I wanted him to be sorry for what he did. He took away a husband, a father… He took away a great man. It felt wrong to not make him feel the worst pain in the world. He swore that if the Jiangs didn't do every little thing he said, he'd kill them all. He had taken away Uncle Jiang—I wasn't going to let him take anything else from this world. 

“I raised some corpses from the grave… and had them attack him. Slowly. I had them do the same to Wen Zhuliu as well. I have never used this method on anyone else. And I never will, Lan Zhan. I understand that it's… it's not a good thing to do. It's not a pretty sight at all.”

The sinister smile that had taken place on Wei Wuxian’s face dimmed.

Wei Wuxian put Chengqing away. “After, I only ever used my magic to make things. But anytime I showed it to anyone, they would cower away in fear. They looked at me the same way they looked at Wen Chao when he was alive. I didn't mean no harm. I just wanted to help Lotus Pier. Uncle Jiang… he had helped by taking me in and letting me grow into the young man I became. I wanted to help Lotus Pier blossom as well. 

“But… they didn't want that. The townspeople told Madam Yu they wanted me gone… and that she would make sure of that no matter what. Of course… they weren't there. Shijie was in Lanling. And Jiang Cheng was in Qinghe… My jie and didi…” Wei Wuxian’s eyes became watery. 

It was no surprise that Wei Wuxian loved the family that he had been brought into. It would be like having to say goodbye to his brother forever. 

He wouldn't be able to do it. 

Wei Wuxian shook his head. “I didn't want to leave. How could I? Lotus Pier has been my home for so long. I knew that place like the back of my hand. All of my things were there. All the people I loved were there… all the memories, good and bad… How could I leave? I had never done this before but… I begged Madam Yu to let me stay. That I'd stay locked up. I'd never leave. I'd never cause trouble for the Jiangs.”

He sighed angrily. Had Yu Ziyuan truly denied having Wei Wuxian be there when he had become a part of her family? When he had been the one to get rid of Wen Chao? 

How could anyone ever hate Wei Wuxian?

Wei Wuxian's eyes darkened. “She had me chained up.” 

His eyes widened. He could imagine heavy chains wrapped around the sorcerer’s body. 

“I would never harm any Jiang. She was Uncle Jiang's wife, Shijie and Jiang Cheng's a-niang, the Lady of Lotus Pier… striking at her would be striking at Uncle Jiang. I just… I continued to beg as I was dragged away. When I was taken outside, there were townspeople out—curious as to what was happening. I called for Madam Yu, but she ignored me. 

“She addressed the rest of Lotus Pier—promising that the Jiangs wouldn't associate themselves with evil. That they wanted no business with anyone that was evil. That they would get rid of me. People were delighted and others were confused—but no one came near when I was pushed over the pier. Everyone in Lotus Pier knows how to swim. I could have swam too, but I had chains dragging me down. 

“I used all my strength and whatever spell I could think of at the time. I grabbed some pondweed, made myself bleed—and I recited a spell as my lungs and nose burned. The burning stopped after I ingested the pondweed. I didn't know how long I could stay underwater for… but it didn't matter if I snuck back home… If I came back up, Madam Yu would just find another way to get rid of me.”

As tragic as it sounded, Lan Wangji knew Wei Wuxian wasn't wrong. Yu Ziyuan would find a different way to get rid of him. 

It was wrong of her to do it in the first place, but she wasn't going to ignore what the people of Yunmeng wanted. He had a feeling his uncle would do something similar if he felt it was in the best interest of the Lans. 

Wei Wuxian chuckled humorlessly. “It was clear that… I wasn't welcomed back home. And if I was there, everyone else would start to hate the Jiangs cause they hated me. They had asked Madam Yu to get rid of me… While breathing underwater, I used a spell to destroy the chains. I then swam far, far away from Yunmeng. 

“I ended up in Yiling. I thought I could start a new life, but a day after being there—word broke out about ‘the evil sorcerer of Lotus Pier’. I had used a single spell that one person saw. They knew of my name—all they had to do was start worrying when they realized I—the newcomer—this was the evil sorcerer they were worrying about. I ran. I was tired and hungry… but I ran. I might have magic, but I'm not immortal. Everything I loved had been taken away from me again, but I didn't want to die. 

“I ran to the Burial Mounds. I didn't know what the place was and it was horrifying at first… but I couldn't go anywhere else. It's not Lotus Pier. It's barely a home… but it was the only place I could go.” 

So tragic. 

The only good thing that had come out of Wei Wuxian’s tragedy was finding the others. 

Why did he have to lose all he had in order to find them though? 

“Wei Ying…” 

“It was so quiet for so long. Sometimes I'd talk to myself… crazy right? But who could I talk to? The trees? The wild? My flute? All I wanted was someone to talk to. Someone to keep me company. It'd be some time until I'd meet the Wens… but I did. Then Xue Yang. And then Mo Xuanyu. I was getting a family. A family who didn't have anyone else.” 

If it was him, he would always wonder about his brother. “Do you ever think of seeing your jie and didi?” 

“Sometimes. I hate that I didn't get to say goodbye to them. I don't know what Madam Yu told them—if I left willingly, if I didn't want to see them again, if I was too confused about my magic. But they're better off without me. They must be. Madam Yu doesn't do things without thinking of the wellbeing of her family. That's the one thing we could both agree on. Of course she should put her children first.”

Wei Wuxian took the last sip from his jug of liquor. 

He wondered if the sorcerer truly had a bad drinking problem as Wen Qing said. 

“I wish I had that.” 

Lan Wangji wondered aloud. “Had what?” 

“Someone put me first. It must be nice, hmm? Has anyone ever put you first, Lan Zhan?” 

He didn't understand. He would like to think his uncle had put his brother and he first when he became their sole guardian, but he didn't know if that counted. At least not with what Wei Wuxian meant. 

Wei Wuxian used the jug to gesture at the others. “Qing-jie puts Wen Ning first. Either Xue Yang or Mo Xuanyu put each other first… I can't tell who does it more, though. I put A-Yuan first. It would just… be nice for someone to do that for you.” 

What was it that Wei Wuxian needed? “Like a brother? A friend?” 

Wei Wuxian puffed out his cheeks. “I have enough brothers and friends, Lan Zhan. My didi I haven't seen. Xue Yang and Xuanyu are like little brothers too, I guess. Qing-jie is a good friend… I don't think A-Yuan can count as a friend… but he's my adoptive son, so that's close, maybe?” 

If it wasn't a brother or friend Wei Wuxian wanted, what could it be? He thought of a different relationship. “My xiongzhang—his lover eats meat and so does the rest of his people. But every time Xiongzhang visits, Mingjue-xiong has special meals prepared for him. Xiongzhang tells him he doesn't have to and I was grateful Mingjue-xiong went out of his way for him. 

“When Mingjue-xiong visited Gusu, I saw Xiongzhang try to hunt for a pheasant. Lans don't eat meat or kill animals. I was shocked, but Xiongzhang had taken a bow and arrow and left.” 

Wei Wuxian leaned close. “Did he do it? Did he find a pheasant?” 

“He failed. Shufu scolded him for having attempted it in the first place. Xiongzhang told me he had the perfect chance to do it—all he had to do was let go of the arrow. But he couldn't. He just stood there—keeping the arrow in place and letting the pheasant run off. Mingjue-xiong had arrived. And the first thing Xiongzhang did was apologize. Mingjue-xiong just laughed. He laughed so loud Shufu came out to scold him.” 

“What happened next?” 

Lan Wangji pictured his brother and Nie Mingjue holding hands as they left the Cloud Recesses. “Mingjue-xiong took Xiongzhang to Caiyi Town. They ate dinner there. Mingjue-xiong told Xiongzhang that he didn't ever have to hunt for him—that buying him some meat would be fine with him. That he didn't want Xiongzhang to go against his own morals for him—that he'd never ask him to. Xiongzhang did as Mingjue-xiong said he could do—he paid for their meals… They… they both took care of each other.” 

Wei Wuxian sighed happily. “Isn't that the sweetest thing ever, Lan Zhan? That's someone putting someone first! Who wouldn't want someone looking out for them like that, huh?” 

It was a rather affectionate thing. He hadn't understood why his brother was inseparable with Nie Mingjue—then he saw how they took care of each other and realized that it wasn't such a bad thing. 

He couldn't stop his lips. “Do you want that?” 

The pretty sorcerer slowly looked at him. He couldn't see any signs of sadness anymore. But now all the light that Wei Wuxian held in his eyes was directed at him. Those rabbit teeth were revealed when his lips curled. “It would be nice to have someone love you like that. Take care of you. Be there to be your true best friend. Protect you. Be there when you need them… It'd be nice.” 

He could feel his heart racing as he continued staring back at Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian didn't look away from him. “And you, Lan Zhan?” He tensed when the sorcerer leaned a bit closer. “Do you want that too?” 

If it was days ago, he would have said no without a doubt. He had never wanted to be with someone romantically. He hadn't. But then he met Wei Wuxian. He had wanted to embrace Wei Wuxian just moments ago—wipe those tears, hurt the person who made him sad, make him happy and see what those lips felt like. 

Had his brother thought all of these things about Nie Mingjue too? 

Did that mean… He wanted what his brother had? 

The fact that Wei Wuxian was smiling at him brought an inner peace within him, yet at the same time it was also a wave crashing against him. 

“Wei Ying…” 

Wei Wuxian scooted even closer, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Yes, Lan Zhan?” 

Wei Wuxian was like a siren, tempting him to enter the deep waters that he had never wanted to venture into. 

He could hear his uncle, “Don't fall into temptations! They're there to tempt you for a reason, Wangji. There's a price to all temptations.” 

If he let himself fall into those waters that this siren inhabited, he would be leaving everything behind. 

There was no job for him in Yiling—only Wei Wuxian. He only left Gusu for missions, but he was never away from home for long. 

Wei Wuxian had to give up his only family and home because the whole world looked at him like he was someone evil. If he did the same thing, it would be for the sake of feelings that he didn't even know were mutual. 

He shouldn't be considering any of this. 

Yet, it felt right being here with Wei Wuxian. He liked the others too, especially sweet A-Yuan. 

But Shufu and Xiongzhang— 

Lan Wangji looked away from that sunshine smile and gripped harder onto Bichen. “I must return home.” 

He didn't turn back to look at the beautiful man before him. 

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian whispered. “You've stayed longer than I was honestly expecting. I thought you would have left after the first day. I'm happy you didn't go.”

He stared at the ground. “So am I.”

He looked over to where everyone else was getting everything ready for dinner. “They're happy you stayed longer too,” Wei Wuxian said. 

Lan Wangji’ eyes landed on A-Yuan, who turned to look over towards them and that was when the little boy excitedly ran over to them. He smiled as A-Yuan looped his arms around Wei Wuxian. 

While A-Yuan’s arms were around Wei Wuxian, he looked at him. “Knight-gege, are you going to stay?” 

He didn't know why but it was hard to repeat the same words he had just told Wei Wuxian to this child. “I…”

Wei Wuxian must have sensed his struggle and so nuzzled his chin on A-Yuan's head. “A-Yuan, Knight-gege has a family he has to go home to.” 

A-Yuan frowned. “Knight-gege! We're gonna have a good meal tomorrow too!. Lots of food this time.” 

He watched this child, feeling this strange sadness in him at the thought that he wouldn't be here to see A-Yuan. 

Wei Wuxian bent down to pick up A-Yuan, pecking his cheek. “Knight-gege has a lot of food where he's going, baobei. He has important things to do—knights go and help people, remember? If he stays and plays with us, he won't be able to.” 

“Oh…” 

Why were those words like needles being jammed into his heart? He never felt sad when he left from one place to the next. Just last night, A-Yuan had sat on his lap as they all ate dinner and he and Wei Wuxian fed the little boy—why did all of that feel nice? 

Why was it so hard for him to let this all go? 

He knows Wei Wuxian just told him he wished he could have someone to love him, but he couldn't stop himself from trying to look at the good things. “You all seem happy together.” Why did it feel like he was convincing himself that Wei Wuxian had something good—that he needed nothing else? 

Wei Wuxian shrugged. “It seems so.” He then looked at him. “Are you happy?” 

He flinched back. “What do you mean?” 

“With going around fighting evil. With your shufu and xiongzhang. I'm guessing you're happy, right?” 

Of course he was happy. Why wouldn't he be? 

Lans were always groomed to become fierce fighters, crafted into being the perfect knights. 

He had never thought about it before—no one has ever asked him. Since he was young, he was always going to be a knight. What else was there for him to do? What more was there in life?

But he had been happy here too. 

And it scared him that he had found someplace else with others that wasn't his family or Gusu. 

“I am,” he said, having to tighten his grip onto Bichen and dig his feet deeper into the ground. He couldn't let Wei Wuxian see that he was breaking down inside. 

 “I'll walk you down!” Wei Wuxian said.

Everyone was standing there waiting. He hadn't overheard it, but maybe A-Yuan had told the rest of them that he would be leaving. 

“Here. No one wants you to end up getting hurt,” Wen Qing said, handing him a small package. 

Wen Ning smiled at him. “Jie ga…gave you help… helpful herbs, Han… Hanguang-jun!” 

He bowed at the Wen siblings. “Thank you.” 

Xue Yang crossed his arms. “I still think I could defeat you in swordplay one day.”

Lan Wangji scoffed, eyeing Wei Wuxian. “You'll need a sword to do that.” 

Mo Xuanyu smacked the taller boy’s arm. “And learn how to use one!” He sent Lan Wangji an apologetic look as Xue Yang went over to Wei Wuxian. “He gives everyone a ton of crap, but I think A-Yang would have liked to have gotten some pointers from you, Hanguang-jun.” 

He caught Xue Yang giving Wei Wuxian something. He turned back to Mo Xuanyu. “Maybe one day.” 

Mo Xuanyu looked at Wei Wuxian and then back at him. “If you ever see my die, don't mention me. I don't ever want to see him again. And really… he probably doesn't want to see me either.” 

Lan Wangji thought of the other Jin children. Did they not care for each other as he cared for his brother? “Your brothers? What about them?” 

Mo Xuanyu looked down. “I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss them… but they couldn't stop Die from abandoning me and wouldn't be able to anyway. Maybe one day I'll see them again.” 

“As long as you're well here.” 

He caught Mo Xuanyu looking at where Xue Yang was. “I am,” he said. 

Lan Wangji just nodded at the boy before stopping in front of A-Yuan. The dear boy was adorable and truly like a rabbit—now that he knew the boy had actually been turned into a rabbit made his heart warm. When he saw a rabbit, all he'd think about now was this child. 

“Come again soon, Knight-gege!” A-Yuan bounced on his toes. 

“Maybe one day,” Lan Wangji repeated what he told Mo Xuanyu because he didn't know. “Be good and listen to everyone. Remember what I taught you?” 

A-Yuan nodded vigorously. “Silence when eating!” 

He smiled proudly, wanting to pat the boy's head and hug him at the same time. “Be well, A-Yuan,” he said, clearing his throat as he moved away from the little boy, who was staring at him with a little pout. 

“C’mon, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him away from everyone. 

“Bye-bye, Knight-gege!” 

“Sa… safe travels, Han… Hanguang-jun!” 

“I think I can still steal his sword. Bastard won't see me fucking coming.” 

“As if he'd let you, A-Yang!” 

“ What did I say about your language, Xue Yang?” 

He bowed at all of them. “Thank you for having me,” he said, forcing himself to hurriedly turn away. 

He didn't turn to look back, even though he was worried that this would be the last time he'd see them. 

Wei Wuxian and he walked down the mountain until they were back at the entrance of the Burial Mounds. He spotted the tree with all the posters. He looked at the big boulder where Wei Wuxian had lounged on when they first met. 

“You're always welcome here, Lan Zhan. Everyone likes you. You're not that bad, y'know that? 

He wanted to say so many things to the pretty sorcerer, but none of it came out. “So are you.” 

“Aww, how nice of Hanguang-jun! I'm guessing you don't compliment everyone, do you?” 

Lan Wangji shook his head because it was true and he didn't lie. Wei Wuxian wasn't evil. He was impressive in what he did. And he was a kind soul. 

Wei Wuxian gasped and dug something from his pocket. He gulped as Wei Wuxian took his hand and placed it inside his palm. It was a single loquat. 

Wei Wuxian had remembered he liked loquats? It was just something random and simple he had said. He knew they had gotten some, but that food was for everyone there. They didn't need to share their food with him. 

Could this loquat be the exact same one Wei Wuxian had placed on his lips? 

“Wei Ying—” 

“Don't worry, Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu washed them. Xue Yang said this one seemed like a good one. And I think so too. I wanted to make sure you took the best of the batch!” 

He frowned. “I didn't get you anything…” 

Wei Wuxian smiled at him in that bright way. “You've done so much for me, Lan Zhan. You got us all food. Even got a jar of liquor for me. You let me talk to you about anything… It's been nice to talk to someone about… all that stuff. It was nice to have someone there…”

Wei Ying deserves someone to be there for him, he thought. He was happy to be there for Wei Wuxian when he needed someone. His heart believed he could do that forever—and deep down, that terrified him. 

He held onto the loquat securely. “Take care, Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian nodded. “You too, Lan Zhan.” 

He bowed at him and turned away. He needed to stop looking at Wei Wuxian. If his eyes looked upon that face again, who knew what would happen? 

Thank goodness Wei Wuxian hadn't asked him to stay. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

He looked at the single loquat that rested on the table where he had placed Bichen. 

Picking up the fruit, he stared at it like it was the key to answer all the questions he had buried deep in his heart. 

He sighed, lowering his gaze. His eyes landed on the door to his bedchamber.

He should be happy to be home. Even if he hadn't found something or someone to defeat, he was in the Cloud Recesses.

"Lan Zhan~ Don't you like loquats?" Wei Wuxian had asked in a teasing manner as he dangled the loquat in the air. He couldn't believe that those pretty lips had touched this same fruit. 

Closing his eyes, Lan Wangji raised the fruit close to his face. Slowly, he placed the loquat onto his lips. He just kept his lips there. 

Would Wei Wuxian's lips be this soft and sweet? They seemed like they might be.

Their faces had been so close before he had left. Neither of them had been able to stop staring at each other.

But what if there was nothing there? Wei Wuxian might have just been friendly. He wouldn't assume the other man's feelings. 

The loquat itself didn't mean anything either.

It was normal for someone to do something someone else liked. It was such a small thing for the Yiling Patriarch to remember—what other reason would he have to have made that mental note permanent in his mind? 

Wei Wuxian was just being friendly. That's all. 

It was just a sweet gesture. 

Gently stroking the skin of the fruit with his hands, he knew he should stop thinking about those lips.

Lan Wangji placed the fruit on the plate and took the small knife on the tray and sliced open the loquat. It must be tricky for Wei Wuxian to go into town to bring what he needed to the others. 

People were after the last of the Wens. People were after Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu too. 

And Wei Wuxian was just trying to protect them all. 

He wasn't an evil sorcerer. He was just a man. One with a big heart. One who didn't mind making a choice that might not be the most popular one. 

Still. It had been the right choice that Wei Wuxian had made—protecting the innocent. 

Wei Wuxian wasn't evil. 

He took one of the slices of the loquat, gently touching the skin of it. 

Why couldn't he forget Wei Wuxian? It was just someone else he had met when he was on his travels. It was like the people he met when he helped them take care of what was bothering their lives… 

He could forget Wei Wuxian. He could. 

There was a knock at the door.

He composed himself, placing the loquat slice down and heading towards the door. It was his brother, smiling at him with that compassionate smile he always wore. 

Lan Wangji bowed. "Xiongzhang." 

Lan Xichen inclined his head. "It's good to see you back, Wangji. May I come in?" 

"Mn." He moved away from the entranceway to let his brother in. His brother looked around his room as if it had been sometime since he had been in there. 

Lan Wangji went back to the table, staying standing as he waited for his brother to say anything else.

His brother turned towards him. "Where did you end up, Wangji?" 

"Yiling," he said, knowing he couldn't tell the specifics to his brother about his time in Yiling.

Lan Xichen was taken back. "How was it? Did you find a foe there to defeat?"

He didn't know how popular the Yiling Patriarch was outside of Yiling, but he hadn't heard about the sorcerer until he was there. 

Lan Wangji shook his head. 

"I'm sorry to hear that, Wangji." Lan Xichen moved closer, his smile disappearing. "Though, I'm surprised my didi would come back when he left to find and stop chaos."

Whether or not he had found something in Yiling,he would have just continued searching for more chaos elsewhere. 

He needed to go home, though. 

"I was homesick," he lied. It hadn't been his heart that had sent him back home. His mind found it to be productive to not let his heart sway him too much. 

He had already been in Yiling for longer than he should have been there. 

"You haven't been gone that long," Lan Xichen pointed out. "A-Jue always has to remind me that nothing can take down the Second Jade of Gusu, but... naturally, I worry." 

His hand felt clammy as it stayed by his side while keeping his other one behind his back. 

He had never tensed up hearing his brother talk about Nie Mingjue. Everyone in the Cloud Recesses—even their uncle—knew all about the relationship between Nie Mingjue and his brother. They had been around the same age and seen each other often when growing up. Their relationship was inevitable.

But he hadn't understood what his brother could have felt around Nie Mingjue. 

A younger Lan Wangji had asked his brother. "Xiongzhang, why do you want to be around Mingjue-xiong?" 

His brother, just a young teen, smiled sweetly like he always did and gently tapped on his brother's head. "One day you'll understand, Wangji." 

The tiny Lan Wangji had looked at his older brother blankly. "Understand what, xiongzhang?" His brother hadn't told him what it was he would understand, but he simply giggled at him. 

Now, he was terrified if this was the moment where he would understand. 

"Xiongzhang," he called out to his brother, keeping his eyes on the loquat he had sliced. All he had left from Wei Wuxian and any evidence he had been at the Burial Mounds was the fruit. 

Lan Xichen's gaze followed his brother's. "What is it, Wangji?" 

"How..." Lan Wangji couldn't stand to look at his brother. "How did you realize that you liked Mingjue-xiong in that way?"

He didn't glance to see the look his brother was sending him, even if it was a smile or not.

It took a moment before he heard his brother speak up. "When I realized I couldn't stand being away from him." 

Lan Wangji gulped down the large lump that had formed in his throat.

"A-Jue stayed with us for a while time and time again. I won't lie, I got used to it. You remember those times, Wangji—when you were in your classes, when you had to stay when A-Jue and I went on our first night hunts and missions… All that time spent—I didn't predict what it'd become. I myself never saw that being in my future. Lo and behold, I had fallen in love with my best friend.” 

He could recall watching his brother and Nie Mingjue running around and being inseparable (when running wasn't permitted in the Cloud Recesses), both like rabbits chasing each other during mating season. 

Even though “rabbit” didn't fit Nie Mingjue. 

He had been jealous that someone else had his brother's attention, but as time went on he had realized that it wasn't so bad that Nie Mingjue was significant in his brother's life. 

“A time came when I would think to myself, ‘He'd never leave,’ and not long after, I was reminded of how much he couldn't stay with me. He had his own responsibilities and life back in Qinghe. He couldn't just abandon that. We were also children at that time. 

“It was tragic and enlightening at the time. I thought it'd be the last time I'd ever see him. And then he snuck into my bedroom window that one night.” 

“Xiongzhang!” Lan Wangji hissed, about to place his hands over his ears or leave his own room. 

Lan Xichen giggled. “We didn't do anything, Wangji.” 

He put his hands down. 

“We talked, actually.” Lan Wangji turned to his brother, seeing a white jade pendant in his brother's hand. “We had to have a talk. We needed to know each other's feelings and wants. We promised to write and meet up when we could.” 

He knew that they both kept those promises. He had spotted the letters on his brother's desk that he kept in a special box. He had seen Nie Mingjue visit and his brother made unnecessary (or so his uncle called them) visits to Qinghe. 

Lan Wangji picked up one of the loquat slices. What would Wei Wuxian say if he came back? If he told him how he couldn't stop thinking about him?

Wei Wuxian had wanted someone who could be by his side—to put him first. He wasn't exactly thinking when he had that large meal prepared or the liquor. 

All he had wanted was to see that sunshine smile that brought a light into his life he didn't know wasn't there. 

Why had he thought he had everything when he felt like this? 

He was waiting for the moment for his brother to question why he had asked his question. Instead, his brother eyed the loquat too. “What's this?” 

Lan Wangji felt there was no point in lying, especially now that his brother knew that there hadn’t been an evil to defeat in Yiling. “It was a gift.”

“Who gifted it to you, Wangji?” Lan Xichen smiled in amusement like he did when he wanted to tease him.

He looked back at the loquat slice. “It was from Wei Ying.” 

“Wei Ying? Who's that?” 

A beauty, a genius, a sweet and kindhearted person—how was he supposed to describe him? 

“An acquaintance,” he said hesitantly. He shook his head in disappointment. It didn't sound right to just call Wei Wuxian an acquaintance. 

“Really?” His brother raised an eyebrow, that teasing smile not leaving his face. “So Wei Ying gifted you this loquat and you brought it back?” Lan Xichen tilted his head. “You've never been one to accept any rewards from anyone when you're on your jobs.” 

“I didn't do a job for him.” 

His brother stared at him with half-lidded eyes. “How did you two meet?” 

How would his brother react to finding out he had befriended someone who was considered an evil sorcerer? 

His uncle would have a heart attack if he knew. Thank goodness he wasn't in the room. 

“I found him in the Burial Mounds—where an evil sorcerer inhabited.” It was pretty much the truth. “He was unforeseen.” 

“How so?” 

He could see the rabbit teeth being shown as pretty lips curled into a sweet smile. The dark eyes that shone brighter than the sun itself. 

Wei Wuxian was like the sun—bright, bringing forth life and a true, riveting wonder to the world. 

“I assumed he was a foe, but… ended up being good.” Lan Wangji knew then that there was no way an evil bone could exist in Wei Wuxian’s body after the time he spent in the Burial Mounds. 

The way he picked up A-Yuan and spun him around like he was the greatest gift in the world. 

The way he told Wen Ning he was doing a good job and listened to Wen Qing while reassuring the woman. 

The way he showed Xue Yang another spell. 

The way he complimented the makeup Mo Xuanyu put on. 

The way he teased him and gave him his undivided attention.  

The fact that he had taken all of them in and made them his family—others who had no one else in the world. 

And the way he called his name.

“He's a sorcerer, but doesn't use magic for evil.” Lan Wangji raised his head a bit. “He took in people who needed someone. Everyone believes him to be despicable, yet he's anything but that.”

“He sounds like an extraordinary person, Wangji.” 

Extraordinary was one way to put it. 

“He is, Xiongzhang. He is.” 

“You didn't have to leave Yiling so soon if you wanted to stay with your friend.” 

He lowered his head slowly, eyeing Bichen lying across the table next to the loquat. As they both rested beside each other, he thought of the Cloud Recesses and Wei Wuxian. 

His feet struggled as he dragged himself out of the Burial Mounds. 

He never stayed anywhere for long unless a job took a longer time. The only place that was home had always been Gusu. 

How could it be elsewhere? 

“It wasn't a good idea,” he admitted. 

“It seems like you enjoyed your time with Wei Ying, Wangji.” 

There was an ounce of him that felt bad for having enjoyed the time he spent with Wei Wuxian. If he had stayed back another day, he wondered if he would have ever left.

He was terrified of what he would give up just to bathe in Wei Wuxian's sunlight once more. 

“You should visit him again, Wangji.” 

His heart raced at the idea—he had to suppress that desire to follow through with it. 

Maybe it was safer to never go back to Yiling. If he went back, it would either hurt or he would find himself running back to the Burial Mounds. 

How could he call anywhere else besides Gusu his home? 

“Mn,” he answered quietly, not wanting to dive back into the topic again. He took the seat at the table, grabbing one of the loquat slices. 

He could feel his brother's gaze on him. It must be odd for his brother to see him talk like this about someone. 

He should try to reassure his brother he was fine.

“It's good to be home,” he said, holding the loquat slice in his hand. 

Lan Xichen took the seat across from him. “Everything has been well. A-Jue is visiting today.” 

He was glad to steer away from his dilemma. “Shufu will announce his arrival in every room you're both in.” His uncle always did that just so he would never have to worry about walking into initiate moments. 

Lan Xichen hid his laughter behind the back of his hand. “I feared Shufu would ban any intimacy outside of the bedchambers.” 

The Lans didn't show physical displays of affection. It was an odd rule that he never understood but never protested at since he never thought he'd want such a thing. 

Things were different now, but it's not like he had anyone. And that someone his heart yearned for was nowhere near Gusu. 

Lan Xichen placed his hands on his lap. “Shufu will want to talk to you as soon as possible. I'll take you to him.” 

He thought that sounded absurd. “I can make it to his room, Xiongzhang.” 

Lan Xichen grinned. “He worries you'll run off again.” 

He guessed he couldn't blame his uncle for that. 

Should he tell his uncle about the Yiling Patriarch? He wouldn't be happy to find out that he was befriending anyone who dabbled in magic. 

“Once you use magic, you have all the chances to abuse it!” he could hear his uncle reminding him. 

Maybe he should keep the details out of his retelling of his time in Yiling. 

If only his uncle could see the amazing talent of—

He scoffed. There he went trying and failing not to think about Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian was like an ink stain on a piece of paper. He couldn't forget him even if he wanted to. 

“May I have a slice?” 

Lan Wangji raised his head up. His brother wanted some of the loquat that Wei Wuxian had given him? He loved his brother, but it was the one thing he had been given… He was having a hard time eating it to begin with! 

He put down the loquat slice he had been holding, hiding his hands in his sleeves as he bowed his head. “I can get you some, Xiongzhang.” 

Lan Xichen giggled. “Oh didi, this loquat means a lot to you, doesn't it?” he asked, that amused look returning. 

Sensing his brother had been teasing him, he sighed in relief. At least this meant he got to keep the loquat Wei Wuxian gave him to himself. 

“Have I been bewitched, Xiongzhang?” His brother looked at him sympathetically. Lan Wangji picked up a loquat slice. 

How could someone only think of one person in such a way? 

How could one even navigate through life when they could only think of that one person? 

“Oh Wangji…” 

Staring down at the loquat slice, he knew this couldn't continue on forever. Eventually, he would have to eat the fruit. And soon, he would have to put Yiling and Wei Wuxian behind him. 

He placed the loquat slice into his mouth, his tastebuds being welcomed by the luscious, sweet juice. 

While he was chewing on the fruit, he looked at his brother and nearly choked. 

That bright smile showing off those rabbit teeth, those dark eyes that sparkled—

“Wei… Wei Ying…” 

The next second, all the lights went off. And Wei Wuxian was gone again.

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Lan Qiren hurried over to the three healers once he entered his nephew's chambers. “What happened to him?! Healers! You better have an answer.”

All three of the healers jumped at Lan Qiren's tone. They all bowed at him before one decided to speak up timidly. “Lan-xiansheng! No medicine can help him! He's just… We don't know!” 

Lan Qiren clenched a fist. “How do you not know?! Are you a healer or not? Help my nephew!” 

Lan Xichen placed a gentle hand on his uncle's arm. “Shufu.”  

Lan Qiren spun around to face his eldest nephew. “No, Xichen! Nothing is alright. Something is wrong with Wangji!” 

Lan Xichen sighed. “I know, Shufu…” 

Another healer took a step forward. “We noticed Hanguang-jun had loquat juice on his lips…” 

Lan Qiren turned to face the healer, maybe hopeful for some helpful information. “And?” 

The third healer finally chimed in. “We wondered if maybe he had choked to death, but nothing was blocking his airway.”  

“And Hanguang-jun still breathes,” the first healer said. 

Lan Xichen had something to sigh in relief about. 

Lan Qiren held no patience when it came to the wellbeing of his nephews. “Then what is wrong with him?” 

“He's just not waking up. We have theories though… we're just not sure, Lan-xiansheng…” 

Lan Qiren took a step closer to the healers. “Tell me!” 

Lan Xichen eyed his brother's unconscious form. It just looked like his brother had fallen asleep. What a normal thing for someone to do... 

He jumped and turned around when an arm was placed on his shoulder. Nie Mingjue comforted him. "Xichen. Wangji will pull through." 

He was grateful that Nie Mingjue had shown him not too long after his brother fell unconscious. Nie Mingjue had been holding him close as the healers had been trying to figure out what was wrong. 

He knew his brother was strong. Their uncle had raised them to be the best of the best. 

Still, just moments ago his brother had been fine. Then he had eaten some of his loquat and went unconscious. He didn't know what was wrong with his brother or how to help him. 

“He has to be alright, A-Jue…” Lan Xichen glanced back at his unconscious brother. “He has to…” 

The healers were still examining Lan Wangji while blabbering about what they thought could be wrong, but they didn't know if they were a hundred percent correct. 

Lan Qiren didn't have the time or patience when it came to his family. “Out with it!” he shouted at the healers. 

All the healers jumped back in fear, only one coming forward to answer timidly. “He seems… cursed, Lan-xiansheng.” 

Lan Qiren stumbled back. “CURSED?!” 

Lan Xichen exhaled a breath, looking back at Nie Mingjue and then at his brother. “Cursed?” 

Who would dare do such a thing?

Luckily, he didn't have to form the questions he needed to ask. “What kind of curse?” Nie Mingjue questioned. 

Lan Xichen thought of the loquat his brother had been eating. Lan Wangji had called it a gift and he had rambled on about the sorcerer he had met. Had this sorcerer done this to his brother? 

It would be odd since the way his brother spoke of this sorcerer… it didn't sound like the man had been evil or had malicious intent. 

Could the sorcerer have been lying to his brother? 

No. His brother was good at judging character. It was rare when he wasn't right about stuff like that. 

“We have no clue, Lan-xiansheng. Lan-er-gongzi keeps repeating something. We believe it's a name…” 

Lan Xichen stepped closer to his brother's bed. He hadn't noticed him saying anything in his unconscious state since he had been too panicked about his brother's state to pay attention. 

“Wei… Ying… Wei Ying… Wei… Ying…” Lan Wangji muttered. 

Lan Xichen placed a hand over his mouth. The one who his brother obviously cared deeply for—also the last thing his brother had said before falling unconscious. 

Nie Mingjue looked at him. “Who the hell is Wei Ying?”  

He looked at his brother’s state and then turned to face Nie Mingjue. “A-Jue, can you do me a favor?” 

Nie Mingjue took his hands, placing a kiss on them. “Anything, A-Huan.” 

He sniffled. He hoped this was going to save his brother.

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“Ouch!” He rubbed at his knees where he had crashed onto the floor. He looked up at the other knights clad in white armor staring angrily at him. “Aren't knights supposed to be gentlemen? It looks like neither of you know what gentle means!” 

One of the white knights crossed his arms. “You know nothing! You're nothing but a rogue! A nobody!” 

Wei Wuxian laughed. “You Lans should come up with better insults.” It's not like he hadn't heard of that one before.

“You beast!” 

He ignored the Lan knights, looking around the room. “Where is Chifeng-zun?” The man—who had introduced himself as Chifeng-zun, came barreling into the Burial Mounds. 

There had been a sliver of hope that Lan Wangji had returned. 

No, and Chifeng-zun hadn't been there to say either. “Hanguang-jun has been cursed. You're needed. Now!” 

One bottle of unveiling and he learned Chifeng-zun was telling the truth. He promised Wen Qing he'd be back and left with Chifeng-zun. 

And now he was stuck in this room with rude Lan knights after Chifeng-zun left to find someone. 

He was here for one reason. 

He got up from the ground, placing a hand on Chengqing, ready to defend himself if needed. “I want to see Lan Zhan!” 

The doors opened. 

“Silence, you brute!” 

Wei Wuxian turned around to see a man with a pissed off face entering the room with a long goatee. “Uh… hi?” 

“Keep your greetings to yourself, you fiend!” The newcomer walked over to stand in front of him. 

Before he was a renowned evil sorcerer, he had heard tales of a master in the Cloud Recesses who was able to turn any man into a refined individual who could go off and fight for countless nations. 

He hadn't known that man must have been Lan Wangji's uncle until he saw the man. Lan Qiren was a handsome man, even though his uptight face made him look older than his true age. He could see the “Lan resemblance” the man shared with his nephew. 

He felt his words get stuck in his throat when the man following Lan Qiren walked in.

Years ago, he had overheard that the Twin Jades of Gusu were not only skilled, but beautiful beings.  

Wei Wuxian didn't need anyone to tell him that this man was the brother that Lan Wangji had been talking about. This man had the same beauty and ethereal aura to him that Lan Wangji. The difference was these dark amber eyes weren't as cold as his white knight's. 

Right behind Zewu-jun, Chifeng-zun followed. Wei Wuxian gasped at the sight of both men holding hands. 

"This is him?" Zewu-jun asked. 

"It is that fiend!" Lan Qiren hissed, not looking back at his eldest nephew. Wei Wuxian nervously looked at the older Lan. "You filth! How dare you do what you did? I'd have you executed if you didn't serve some type of purpose!" 

He straightened his shoulders, facing the older Lan directly. He couldn't blame Lan Qiren's reaction to what had happened to his nephew. 

All this time, he had been used to people claiming he had done things he hadn't done. Now, even though his fingerprints were on this issue, he was involved. 

He bowed his head, knowing he had to take the blame. "My apologies, Lan-xiansheng." He couldn't look up at Lan Qiren or Zewu-jun's direction. "It is my fault that this happened." 

"You!"

"Wangji talked about you." 

Those words had come from Zewu-jun, but he still didn't look up. As he kept his head down, his lips curved upward. 

His white knight hadn't forgotten him. 

It was hard watching Lan Wangji leave the Burial Mounds. It had felt like an opportunity was slipping through his fingers.  

Was it fair to tell the knight to stay a little longer? It was selfish, that's for sure. 

Why would Lan Wangji want to stay to begin with? He was a knight who went around defeating evil. There was no evil in Yiling, so why would he stay? 

He looked up at Lan Wangji's brother. His eyes were puffy and red like he had been crying for hours. His steps were slow but purposeful. There was betrayal on his face. 

He would be feeling the same too if he was in Zewu-jun's shoes. 

"He... did?" he asked hesitantly. 

Zewu-jun let go of Chifeng-zun's hand, moving to stand in front of him. "It seemed like you two became friends." 

They hadn't spent too much time together, but he would consider them friends. He wasn't going to enlighten anyone in this room; his other feelings he would rather bury deep. 

The knight was his friend. 

"He is. To me, he is." 

“Absurd! My nephew? Friends with you!" Lan Qiren scoffed, shaking his head. “Xichen, this is nonsense!” 

He knew that would sound crazy to Lan Qiren. Lan Xichen's focus wasn’t on his uncle though. 

Lan Xichen ignored his uncle's outbursts. Wei Wuxian wondered how tense it must have been being raised by Lan Qiren. "Why... if he was your friend, would you do this?" 

He sighed, knowing how bad this made him look. "It was a mistake on my part." 

"A mistake?!" If he had seen a weapon on Lan Qiren, he would have thought the man was seconds away from killing him. "You refer to cursing my nephew as a slight error?!" 

They were flawed words, regardless he had no other way of putting it. Even if he wanted to say, "I wanted to curse him," his lips couldn't form those words. Even that lie would be too painful to lie about. If he had said, "I was just teasing him," it wouldn't have felt good either. Curses weren't things to joke around with. 

An error on his part was the only thing that could work. 

"Since it was an error of yours... You'll be able to help him,” Lan Xichen said, those dark eyes darkening. 

He inspected the older Lan brother. So far Lan Xichen was civil and polite, but those words weren't a question. It was a demand. Funny enough, he felt more chills up his spine when talking to Lan Xichen than Lan Qiren. 

He could only imagine what Lan Xichen would do if he had been unable to help. 

"I can." 

Lan Qiren was the first one to exit the room, commanding the guards to drag him out of the room. 

“That's not necessary, Shufu.” Lan Xichen told him, which he was thankful for. “A-Jue and I are here. As well as other knights. He can't get away.”

Not that he would want to. 

Lan Wangji needed him. 

So he stood between Chifeng-zun and Lan Xichen with knights behind and in front of him as Lan Qiren led the way. 

Wei Wuxian examined the fortress that was the Cloud Recesses. It was huge, but it wasn't overstuffed with lavish decor or a blend of bright colors. 

Lan Qiren pushed through two big doors. 

He calmed himself as he entered with everyone else. 

The room was a bedchamber. There was a dresser, a fireplace that where a small fire licked at the wood surrounding it. A table with one chair rested at the center where a teapot, teacup and a plate was. His eyes widened at the sliced fruit that laid atop the plate. 

It was the loquat he had given Lan Wangji. 

The very reason why he was here. 

He still couldn't believe that Lan Wangji had left with something that was going to end up cursing him. The worst thing was the fact that it was something he had given him!

He didn't know how the kid could get the truth, but he was grateful for Mo Xuanyu. 

His eyes moved to the other side of the room where a canopy bed was occupied by someone dressed in white. He gulped as he recognized those two, long strands of hair at the front of the person's face. 

Without permission, he ran over to the side of the bed, looking down at that face that always looked like it could kill with a single look. 

"Wei Ying..." 

He couldn't stop the gasp that escaped his throat. 

There was no sign of that angry scowl Lan Wangji liked to keep on his face. His features were relaxed as it looked like he was just sleeping, lost in a good dream. 

He can't believe that little brat did this! 

He also couldn’t believe that Lan Wangji was calling out for him. 

"He's under a sleeping curse," he broke the silence in the room. He looked back at the other two Lans. "He's okay. Just asleep."

Lan Xichen sighed in relief. "He's in no pain?" 

He shook his head, a little smile on his face. 

"Don't believe him, Xichen!" Lan Qiren walked to stay beside the bed, pointing at his sleeping nephew. "What proof do we have that Wangji isn't hurting?"

He could understand Lan Qiren's worry. All the man knew was that his nephew was under some type of spell. 

Even though he hadn't known the loquat he gave Lan Wangji was cursed, this wasn't the first time he had seen anything like it. 

"I swear. He isn't." 

He remembered the first time he saw the spell being used was when he found Xue Yang unresponsive in his own bed. Mo Xuanyu had been the one to find him like this as well, since the two boys shared a house. 

He had been checking the taller boy, noticing he had a candy wrapper next to his head and his hands were clasping Mo Xuanyu's little rouge jar. "What happened?" 

Mo Xuanyu, who hadn't even spotted the rouge jar, was pacing back and forth. "He was fine last night! I saw him eat his candy he always eats and then he fell asleep!" 

By that time, it had been five months since Mo Xuanyu had joined them. Wei Wuxian had hoped the two young boys would get along, so he had them live together. Xue Yang was always an oddball—liked collecting little dead things, talked about killing methods and torture devices. Although he was weird, Wei Wuxian thought he needed an outlet: hence, he taught him magic. 

Xue Yang was the perfect apprentice. No spell was ever too weird for him to try out. 

Once Mo Xuanyu came along, he thought the two weren't getting along since the boy became Xue Yang's to tease. And he teased him more than he would tease anyone else. 

Xue Yang would steal Mo Xuanyu's stuff and always ask for a price. Mo Xuanyu wasn't gentle, as he would angrily stare at the other boy telling him, "Why do I have to pay? It's my stuff!" Xue Yang never said aloud what his price was, but Mo Xuanyu would end up finding his stuff returned to him. 

Wei Wuxian thought nothing of it until he noticed Xue Yang would sometimes give Mo Xuanyu a piece from his candy stash—which was odd in itself since the kid never gave anyone his candy. Whenever they were able to get their hands on some tangyuan, Mo Xuanyu always gave Xue Yang a half of his.

It wasn't until he caught Xue Yang staring at Mo Xuanyu from afar as if he was a piece of candy that he couldn't grab for. Wei Wuxian had considered talking to the boy the next day, but of course that was when Xue Yang was in the predicament he was in. 

Mo Xuanyu had stopped pacing and was back in front of Xue Yang's bed. His eyes were red. "Are you able to help him or no?!" 

Wei Wuxian nervously eyeballed the rouge jar that was securely held between Xue Yang's fingers. "I don't think I can, Xuanyu." He had books of curses and spells, of course once putting Xue Yang's feelings together and what he held in his hand, did he know how to fix this. 

Mo Xuanyu clenched both his fists angrily. "What's the good of a sorcerer if they can't help?! He can be dying!" 

"Mo... Xuan... Yu..." They both looked down at the sleeping boy. Xue Yang didn't move the slightest inch as he continued sleeping and holding onto the rouge jar. He whispered again, "Mo... Xuan... Yu..." 

Mo Xuanyu shook like a leaf as he kneeled by the bed. "Xue Yang! Wake up, you idiot! You're scaring me!" Fat beads of tears were falling down the boy's white painted face. "I know you love to scare the crap out of me, but THIS isn't funny!" 

Wei Wuxian pointed at Xue Yang's hands. "Notice something, Xuanyu?" 

"What?!" Mo Xuanyu sniffled, grabbing Xue Yang's hands and seeing his rouge jar. Mo Xuanyu lightly smacked Xue Yang's arm. "Why are you always taking my stuff?! Tian-ah, Xue Yang! I don't see you stealing anyone else's crap like you steal mine!" Mo Xuanyu took the little rouge jar, inspecting it. "You don't even like wearing makeup, you jerk!" 

Wei Wuxian wrapped his hands around his chin. "Yes, yes, that's a good question, Xuanyu. Why would Xue Yang do that to only you?" 

Mo Xuanyu spun around to scowl at him. "That's what I'm always asking! And he never answers! The jerk always has something to say, but he keeps his lips sealed when I ask him that!" 

"He's inseparable from you too, I notice. He's always showing you the spells he performed. Showing you the little dead things he found. He gave you that rare moon moth he preserved for you—that was really pretty and they're hard to find, by the way. Plus he gives you his candy—something he never does..." He had grinned playfully when he noticed Mo Xuanyu had gasped. "Must I continue?" 

Things had registered in Mo Xuanyu's mind at that point. Wei Wuxian was about to tell him the cure when the boy planted his lips onto Xue Yang's. And just like that, Xue Yang had woken up, smirking as he kissed Mo Xuanyu back. 

When he had asked Xue Yang what the dreams were like when he was put under the sleeping curse, the boy told him he had drama that he was eating sweets and kissing Mo Xuanyu. 

The one under the spell wasn't in pain. They were just in a sweet dream of their heart's desires. 

And here, Lan Wangji was calling out his name as he slept. 

There shouldn't be an ounce of joy within him at this. But he couldn't forget how fun it had been spending time with the knight. 

Lan Wangji was a major fuddy-duddy who didn't want to break the rules. Yet, he had broken the rules somehow by deciding to stick around with someone who was believed to be an “evil sorcerer”. That must have been a first for the knight. 

The knight was everything he wasn't and instead of being mad about that, he found it amusing. 

“I can help him, but…” He looked at every single person in the room. He didn't feel comfortable doing what he wanted to try with so many people present. He didn't know if Lan Wangji would be fine with that either. “I don't need an audience…” 

The veins on Lan Qiren's forehead bulged. “You!” 

Chifeng-zun crossed his arms. “What are you going to do?” 

“I know what needs to be done to wake him up, ‘kay? I've seen it happen before. I just… it feels like a privacy matter for Lan Zhan's sake.” He didn't know if Lan Wangji wanted people here to see what he was about to do. 

Lan Qiren clenched his fists. “You dare call him Lan Zhan?! Who do you think you are?”

He raised his hands up. “This is for Lan Zhan, not me. I swear.” 

All he could do was hope that this plan would work. If it didn't, the Lans would have to find a bunch of people to test the theory. 

“How about if I was the only one present?” Everyone looked at Lan Xichen, who was calmly standing near the bed. “What do you think, Wei-gongzi?” 

He smiled. 

At least Lan Xichen wasn't being difficult like his uncle. 

“That'll work!” He gave the Lan a thumbs-up. He didn't think Lan Wangji would be too embarrassed if it had just been his brother. 

Lan Qiren didn't like the sound of this though. “You think you can be the one to make demands? You did this! All of this is your fault!” 

"Shufu, I'm right here. I won't let him hurt Wangji." Lan Xichen reassured his uncle. 

“Xichen—” 

Lan Xichen gestured to Wei Wuxian. “We need Wei-gongzi to do what he must to help Wangji. I'll be here to make sure everything's fine. Wangji hopefully will be up again soon, Shufu. That's all we want, isn't it?” 

Lan Qiren shut his mouth at that. 

Every single one of them just wanted Lan Wangji to wake up. 

And so, Chifeng-zun successfully escorted Lan Qiren out of the room. 

Wei Wuxian bowed at Lan Xichen, who smiled at him. 

He stared down at the person he was here for. How could he have let this happen? He moved to adjust the white ribbon that laid across Lan Wangji's forehead. 

“Wei Ying… Wei… Ying…” 

He sat down on the edge of the bed, removing his hand or else he'd end up caressing his white knight's face. 

He knows he should stop referring to Lan Wangji as “his” white knight. Lan Wangji didn't belong to him. 

“What have I gotten you into?” If Lan Wangji was ever his, he worried that something like this would happen again. 

"You like him." 

He spun around. "Huh? Wh... why do you think that?" He couldn't believe he forgot he wasn't alone in the room! 

Lan Xichen must have been watching him.  "The way he talked about you was particular. He held onto the loquat you gifted him as if it was a precious stone. Also... the way you're staring at him." 

"I'm just checking on him, that's all!" 

"How about the fact that he's calling your name?" Lan Xichen looked down sadly at his brother. "I was always hoping for the day would come when Wangji finally made friends." Lan Xichen grinned at him. "Who knew that he would make more than a friend?"

He waved his hands in front of himself in a panic. "We... we haven't done anything! We're just friends!" 

If Lan Xichen didn't believe him, he didn't let him know. He gently moved away a stray strand from his brother's face. "He was happy talking about you. I don't think that was a coincidence." 

Truly, Lan Wangji and he weren't anything, but he knew that if there was a chance that existed that there could be more—he knew what his heart wanted. 

What if it was true? What if Lan Wangji felt the way he did? What then?

Could they actually be something more if his feelings were mutual? Would Lan Wangji want that? 

He had a habit of flirting with many people, but he had never actually experienced anything. 

“It's true love's kiss, isn't it?” 

He nodded slowly.

“I didn't think that cure existed.” 

It sounded like a cheesy and unrealistic way to break certain curses, but it did work for some. 

He couldn't blame Lan Xichen for thinking it might not exist. “I thought it was only something in fairytales too. This one spell does work that way. Not all do.” 

It was the type of thing he heard about in a lot of the stories his sister would make up.

“Is that... okay?” he asked. Lan Qiren would have absolutely said no, but what if it did work? 

Lan Xichen didn't look angry like Lan Qiren or have a doubtful aura like Chifeng-zun had. “I want my didi to be woken up. I don't care what wakes him up. I don't think you have ill intentions, Wei-gongzi.” 

“I don't. I promise.” 

Still, even with Lan Xichen’s permission, it didn't make anything easier. 

Growing up, his older sister had told him, "A-Xian, kisses are a beautiful thing. But your first kiss is precious. Don't just go giving it away." He could feel his eyes stinging a bit by the memory. 

He looked down at Lan Wangji. The family he once had would have liked him. He could hear his little brother being as bitter as always, "How were you—Wei Wuxian—able to get a knight's attention?" 

He wiped away a tear that had fallen. 

"You would like them too, Lan Zhan," he muttered, taking Lan Wangji's clasped hands that rested on his stomach. "I'll tell you all about them! Maybe one day..." He missed them, but it has been so long since he's seen them. Did they miss him like he missed them? 

Jiang Yanli had said first kisses were a precious thing—giving it to Lan Wangji would be worth it. 

It didn't mean anything would come out of it—there was still a chance the white knight wouldn't wake up. 

But this was all for Lan Wangji. 

He thought the knight would have been a problem, but he hadn't been. He had been wonderful—he had been there for him and the others. 

Even if his dear knight didn't wake up, he swore he would help the Lans find the person who was Lan Wangji’s true love. 

And if he woke up…

He smacked his forehead to stop thinking. 

He had things to do. 

Those golden eyes needed to open again. 

At a snail’s pace, Wei Wuxian bent down and placed his lips on top of Lan Wangji's. 

There wasn't golden light that came showering into the room or a spark that erupted within his soul.

It was just lips on lips. But they were Lan Wangji's thin and soft lips. There was something about that that made it more special than how true love kisses were described in fairytales.

Wei Wuxian lifted his head, widening his eyes when he saw gold eyes looking back at him. 

“Wei Ying!” 

He felt his face warm with those light eyes looking up at him like he was the only thing that existed in the world. 

“Lan Zhan!” He called his white knight. I’m sorry ‘bout all of this. Y’know… Y’know I would never curse you, right?”

Lan Wangji nodded. “Mn.”

Wei Wuxian growled, shaking his head in disbelief. Lan Wangji thought he looked adorable when he was mad. “You don’t know how pissed I was when I found out what he did.”

Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow. “Xue Yang?”

He scratched at his temple, his lips twisting into an uncomfortable look. “You knew?”

Lan Wangji smiled at him softly. “I knew it couldn’t be Wei Ying.” 

“That little brat… I wanted to turn him into a frog! Not that he would have hated it, that punk…” He shook his head, sighing deeply. “He didn’t even admit it! The only one who could get him was Xuanyu! How ridiculous. I brought the little brat under my wing—why doesn’t he listen to me?” 

Lan Wangji kept his thoughts to himself, but Wei Wuxian noticed the knight couldn't stop staring at him. 

It was like he was staring at something beautiful—is that how Lan Wangji saw him? 

“Lan Zhan…” he whispered. He stared at Lan Wangji’s lips. He wanted to kiss him again! However, they weren't alone. 

Before he got the chance to say anything, Lan Wangji made the first move, cupping his face and dragging him back down to his lips. 

Okay… 

He could get used to this. 

He opened his mouth momentarily to remind Lan Wangji they weren't alone when a tongue slipped between his slips and he couldn't stop the moan that escaped him. 

“Ehem, ehem.” 

Lan Wangji was the one to pull away, but he didn't let go of his face. Wei Wuxian didn't turn around to look at Lan Xichen—who had just watched someone kiss his baby brother. He kept his eyes on the white of Lan Wangji's clothes.  

He didn't look back, but his dear knight in white had. “Xiongzhang?” 

"Wangji. I'm happy you're back." Wei Wuxian could hear Lan Xichen's voice a little louder meaning he had gotten closer. "I see the friend you made along the way was more than a friend." He could hear the wide smile on the other Lan's face. 

He could see Lan Wangji incline his head at the corner of his eye. "It was unexpected." 

“Shufu might not be too accepting.”

He frowned at that, but he shouldn't be shocked. 

Why should Lan Qiren like him? Not only was he a renowned "evil sorcerer", he had claimed to be responsible for putting a curse on his nephew. 

He didn't want to snatch Lan Wangji away from his family. All he had was his uncle and brother—something in him knew it didn't feel right for Lan Wangji to be away—

“I want to be with Wei Ying.” 

Wei Wuxian slowly turned to look at him. He didn't glance back at the sorcerer, not wanting to ignore the claim he had just made.

"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian called out to him in disbelief. 

Lan Wangji—the Hanguang-jun—wanted to be with him. 

He didn't turn around to look at Lan Xichen. He didn't want anyone or anything to sway his own thinking. 

"Wangji... are you sure?" Lan Xichen asked. 

The white knight hadn't stopped looking at him. He smiled as Lan Wangji smiled softly at him. 

Wei Wuxian wanted to be with him too. 

"Mn," Lan Wangji moved his hands where they were on his face to take his hands that he had laid on his chest. Wei Wuxian intertwined their fingers, a promise to the man before him. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

A black fox went sniffing as it cautiously came across the vendor stalls. His nose lifted up in the direction of the meaty aroma emanating from the lady selling steamed buns.

The man next to the fox was dressed in all white and had a sheathed word strapped to his waist. No armor could be found on him, just a simple bamboo hat atop his head.

The man asked for some steamed buns when the vendor eyeballed the little white rabbit that was peeking out of the man's pocket. "Sir! That rabbit—"

Lan Wangji glanced up at the vendor. "He's not for sale."

The vendor sighed in irritation, waving his hand. "I warn you about that fox that comes to bother the town." Lan Wangji side-eyed the fox next to him. "It'll eat your little rabbit if you're not careful."

If anyone had been paying attention to him, they would have seen the small lift of lips. "He won't." Lan Wangji then glared back at the vendor.  "No one would dare." 

The vendor hummed, grabbing the amount of buns that was asked for. "I've seen you here before, sir. You haven't always lived here, have you?" 

All Lan Wangji did was shake his head. 

The vendor asked. "Have you heard of the Yiling Patriarch?" 

He opened his mouth to respond when someone else spoke. 

"Ah! The Yiling Patriarch!" Lan Wangji turned around to see a cluster of townspeople had came towards the stall.  

"Did you hear about what the Yiling Patriarch did?"

"What did he do now?!"

"Let me guess!! He kidnapped another poor child?"

"Worst!"

"What's worse than that?"

"He has been able to control the mind of a good-doer!"

Lan Wangji kept a composed face.

"A good-doer? What do you mean?"

"Some say the man he hypnotized is someone who once did good! Some speculate he was a knight, others say he was a monk!"

"What? How can that be?!"

"That poor good-doer! He might have had a wife! Maybe a child or two! Now he's the slave to evil!"

"Someone is going to really deal with that sorcerer, won't they? I don't want him kidnapping my kids!"

"Rumor has it that, and this is just a rumor! The good-doer made a deal."

"A deal?? What kind of a deal!?" 

"If the Yiling Patriarch stopped kidnapping children and crafting evil intentions, he swore to be his servant!"

Lan Wangji glanced over at the black fox, who was sniffing at the stall with the steamed buns. He broke a piece of one of the buns he had bought and carefully held it out for the fox to eat. 

"No!! How could that good-doer allow that to happen to himself?" 

"That's what good-doers do! Always sacrificing themselves for everyone else!" 

"Wait, wait, wait! So that's how the Yiling Patriarch ended up with a new slave?"

"I feel bad for the family of that poor, unfortunate good-doer!" 

Lan Wangji accepted the steamed buns and gently set them inside of the sack before walking away from the stall.

Yiling was different compared to Gusu. 

He was used to Gusu. When he was younger, his brother used to take him out of the Cloud Recesses and hang out in Caiyi Town. He never understood the desire to leave their beautiful home. 

Back in the Cloud Recesses, the only time there was noise was when the students were practicing and learning fighting techniques. Yiling, although it was a town, it was still a different environment for him to get used to. Even the Burial Mounds were louder than the Cloud Recesses ever were.

He didn't dress up in his armor anymore, but he still wore white and kept Bichen at his waist. The bamboo hat was Wei Wuxian's that he let him use. None of the townspeople remembered that he had been the knight that they had asked to defeat the Yiling Patriarch. 

Lan Wangji smiled happily once the three of them made it to the entrance of the Burial Mounds.

He turned to his left when the black fox was replaced by Wei Wuxian. His beloved rolled back his shoulders and stretched his arms out in the air as he got back used to his human form. 

"It doesn't hurt?" Lan Wangji always wondered if it hurt—he didn't want that. He took out A-Yuan from his pocket. The little rabbit had a white ribbon across its tiny head as it nuzzled Lan Wangji's hands. He hoped the little boy was fine. 

Wei Wuxian shook his head. "A little ticklish, maybe, but nothing painful," he said with a little wink. 

He looked at his beloved skeptically. 

"I promise, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian raised his hands in surrender. "Aiya, do you think I'd let A-Yuan transform into a rabbit if it hurt?" Wei Wuxian gently touched the white fur of the little-boy-transformed-into-a-rabbit. 

He supposed Wei Wuxian had a point. He wouldn't let A-Yuan transform if the process was painful. 

Lan Wangji handed Wei Wuxian the sack that had the steamed buns and their other produce. He then took a seat on the same rock that he had first seen Wei Wuxian lounging on the first time they properly met. He placed the rabbit on his lap as Wei Wuxian snapped his fingers and red mist surrounded the rabbit. After the mist cleared up, little A-Yuan was sitting on Lan Wangji's lap playing with the little piece of straw he had found in Lan Wangji's pocket. 

Wei Wuxian bent down in front of Lan Wangji, taking the straw and dangling it for the little boy.  "Don't you like being a bunny, baobei?" 

When A-Yuan got ready to jump for the straw piece, Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around the little boy. He didn't want the little boy getting hurt. He eyed the white ribbon across A-Yuan's head. He smiled at it. It was a mini version of his own that he kept on even if he no longer lived in the Cloud Recesses. 

A-Yuan had liked him and since A-Yuan was Wei Wuxian's adopted son and he was Wei Wuxian's lover, it felt right to give a ribbon to A-Yuan. 

"I like being a rabbit! It's fun!" A-Yuan successfully grabbed the straw Wei Wuxian was dangling. "Can I always be a rabbit?"

"How would we find you amongst the other rabbits, A-Yuan? We don’t want to lose you, baobei," Wei Wuxian pouted. 

A-Yuan made a sad sound before turning his body around. "Diedie, can I be a rabbit?" 

He smiled at A-Yuan. "You're A-Yuan, not a rabbit." 

Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "Our little rabbit!" 

A-Yuan pouted, letting his arms fall weakly. "Baba and Diedie won't let me be a rabbit..." 

Wei Wuxian snapped his fingers, grinning like he had hatched a devious plan. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes on him. "A-Yuan! You should convince your diedie to let me transform him into a rabbit. Then you'd both be rabbits together! Wouldn't that be fun?" 

His beloved had proposed this idea a week ago and he had said no. A spell had already been put on him once before—he didn't think he wanted to endure anything similar to that. 

The idea of transforming into an animal felt wrong to him. He wasn't going to stop his beloved or A-Yuan from doing it, but he didn't think it was his type of thing. 

"Be a rabbit with me, Diedie!" 

He set the little boy down on the floor. "It's time to get dinner ready," he said, taking A-Yuan's right hand and approaching the archway of trees. 

"Xue-ge can turn me into a rabbit!" A-Yuan insisted. 

He would threaten Xue Yang before the boy could put a spell on anything edible for A-Yuan to eat. He was fine with Xue Yang practicing magic under Wei Wuxian's apprenticeship. 

Although he now knew the transformation didn't hurt and he A-Yuan liked it, there was still a fear at the back of his mind if it went wrong. What if A-Yuan got stuck as a rabbit forever? What if there were other rabbits in the same area and someone mistook a normal rabbit for A-Yuan? 

He eyed the white ribbon on A-Yuan's head. Maybe there wouldn't be a way to lose A-Yuan since no other rabbit would be wearing that white ribbon unless it was A-Yuan.

Wei Wuxian scurried over, grabbing A-Yuan's other hand, meaning the little boy walked in the middle. Lan Wangji watched his beloved lightly swing A-Yuan's arm back and forth. 

"Baba, Baba! Can you and Diedie get A-Yuan more siblings?" A-Yuan asked as they made it towards the end of the archway of trees.

Lan Wangji's ears went red at that implication. He saw his beloved hum as he swung Chengqing in his other hand. "We'll have to grow A-Yuan some siblings, won't we? What does A-Yuan want?"

The little boy tilted his head and smiled brightly. "Two older sisters and three older brothers!" 

Lan Wangji smiled at the child's cuteness. Technically, he already had a bunch of older siblings. He would have thought A-Yuan would have considered him as a brother until after he bought him some toys at one of the vendor stalls. Right after, A-Yuan started calling him "Diedie". He would think his lover would have told A-Yuan to say this, but even if he had, he didn't hate that this little boy—who Wei Wuxian accepted as his son—saw him as a second father. 

But he wouldn't want it any other way. 

"Diedie and I will grow two older sisters and three older brothers for A-Yuan." Wei Wuxian raised a thumbs up at the little boy.

A-Yuan nodded and then turned over to Lan Wangji. "Diedie! Can I see your sword?" 

Just like the child had been intrigued by Bichen when they first met, A-Yuan was still interested in the weapon. He had worries about Xue Yang, who already had a funny history with him, swinging around a weapon, but Wei Wuxian told him not to worry. 

"Mn." 

A-Yuan, who knew now his ways of replying, squealed happily. 

"Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian stared at him adoringly. "You're a good diedie, you know that, right?"

He never thought of having a child. He never understood the romance that his parents must have felt or the feelings that his brother had with Nie Mingjue. He couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to be romantically involved with anyone.

Technically, he wasn't raising A-Yuan by himself or only with Wei Wuxian, but he was becoming an important figure that the child would see often. 

He enjoyed spending time with A-Yuan. He was a sweet child who was always ready to learn something new. A proud smile always landed on his face whenever A-Yuan asked about Bichen. He would be happy to one day teach A-Yuan how to use a sword. 

Once they made it back to the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian gently patted A-Yuan's back. "Go take these to your A-Qing jiejie," Wei Wuxian said, placing the sack into A-Yuan's little hands. A-Yuan took the sack and ran over to where Wen Qing was showing something to Wen Ning. 

Randomly, Wei Wuxian opened his mouth. “Lan Zhan, I never did ask you this, but… What did you see in your dream?” 

Lan Wangji knew what dream his beloved meant. Time had gone by since he had decided to stay in Yiling. He hadn't thought about the dream he had been in when Wei Wuxian arrived to kiss him to wake up. 

But it was a wonderful dream. 

He looked around the Burial Mounds, grabbing Wei Wuxian’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers. 

Xue Yang was crushing something in a bowl while Xuanyu was watching. "Ya see this?" Lan Wangji could see there was red powder in the bowl. "I can make you all the rouge you want. For a price~" 

"Ugh!" Mo Xuanyu leaned close and pecked Xue Yang's lips. 

It wasn't any of his business, but Lan Wangji did wonder how long Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu's relationship would last. They were still kids and their romance was similar to the young love he would hear about growing up.

Even if the two boys didn't end up together forever, he hoped they would at least still remain acquaintances. 

He saw Wen Qing wrap an arm around A-Yuan while Wen Ning took the sack. "Did you behave for Wei Wuxian and knight-ge?" Wen Qing asked. 

A-Yuan nodded his head vigorously. "Diedie's gonna show me his sword!" 

“This,” he said, turning to face his beloved, he didn't dare look away. “With you.” 

Yes, Xue Yang had given him a cursed loquat, but what would have happened if he hadn't? Would Wei Wuxian have left for him? Would he have left for him? 

He didn't have to worry about that ever again. 

Now he got the chance to be with another family who he loved as much as his biological one. And it's not like he would never visit Gusu. 

Maybe one day Wei Wuxian and he could take everyone to see the Cloud Recesses. And perhaps one day, his beloved would return to Lotus Pier. 

It didn't matter as long as he was with him. 

"Thank you, Wei Ying."

Wei Wuxian looked at him. "Whatcha thanking me for, Lan Zhan?" 

He was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words.

Thank you for being the Yiling Patriarch.

Thank you for teaching Xue Yang magic so you could kiss me.

Thank you for taking me away from the Cloud Recesses. 

"For letting me into the Burial Mounds." If Wei Wuxian hadn't let him into his home, he wouldn't have had the chance to not only meet everyone else, but the Yiling Patriarch himself. 

Wei Wuxian smiled so brightly his eyes became crescents, a giggle escaping his lips. "Is that Hanguang-jun saying how wonderful I am?"

Instinctively, he moved and wrapped his arms around Wei Wuxian's waist, pulling the other man close to him until their chests were touching. "So shameless." 

Wei Wuxian placed his hands on his chest, trailing them up to touch Lan Wangji's neck. "Ohhh Lan Zhan! Am I hearing that you're not happy with this shameless and bold Yiling Patriarch?" he asked with a big pout. 

He let one hand trail up to cup his beloved's jawline while keeping his arm around his waist. "Wei Ying doesn't need to change." 

Wei Wuxian hummed. "You promise to always stay with me? Even if I'm experimenting with spells, taking in abandoned strays and even when I'm..." Wei Wuxian leaned close to him, his lips ghosting over Lan Wangji's. "...flirting and touching you nonstop?" he asked, letting one of his pretty fingers trace Lan Wangji's jawline. 

"Forever," he said. Lan Wangji connected their lips, feeling the smile form along his beloved's lips. He wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here with this shameless sorcerer.