Chapter Text
For a long time, Wei Wuxian had existed on the other side of a screen.
Sometimes he was laughing, sometimes shouting. Sometimes arguing with thirty thousand people that the objectively terrible decision he had just made was in fact, genius.
Lan Wangji had watched him win. He had watched him lose. He had watched him launch Nezha into fights no reasonable player would have taken, die spectacularly, stare at the death recap for all of three seconds, and say, “Okay. Now we know.”
Then he would queue again.
Wei Wuxian had never known who was watching from the other side. To him, Lan Wangji was only another username somewhere among thousands, a silent viewer counted beneath a livestream.
It was not quite the same for Lan Wangji.
A soft chime broke through the quiet.
MATCH FOUND
The words flashed across his screen. Lan Wangji’s thumb hovered over the confirmation button.
He accepts.
10 names filled the screen. His gaze found one immediately.
YilingLaozu.
His hand stilled. There was no mistaking the name. And as if any confirmation were needed, Nezha appeared beside it a moment later.
Across the room, Nie Huaisang glanced up from his phone. “Lan Er-ge, what happened?”
“Nothing.”
That earned him a more interested look. Nie Huaisang knew what Lan Wangji looked like when nothing had happened. He followed Lan Wangji’s gaze and saw the name.
YilingLaozu.
“Oh.”
Lan Wangji’s eyes shifted towards him.
“What?” Nie Huaisang asked innocently. “I only said oh.”
“You were going to say more.”
“I was considering it.”
“Don’t.”
That only made Nie Huaisang smile. “Fine. I’ll behave.”
Lan Wangji clearly did not believe him. The hero selection appeared.
Nie Huaisang looked at the screen, then at Lan Wangji. “And you’re still going Ao Yin?”
Lan Wangji selected him. Nie Huaisang sighed, “I suppose that answers that.”
The loading screen appeared.
On one side: YilingLaozu
On the other: LanLanLand
Nie Huaisang’s mouth twitched. Lan Wangji caught it immediately.
“Do not.”
“I didn’t say anything about the name.”
“I know.”
“I was only thinking that this is perhaps not how you imagined your first meeting going.”
Lan Wangji went still.
Nie Huaisang blinked. The pause was all the confirmation he needed. “Oh, you have imagined it.”
“Huaisang.”
“All right, all right.” He lifted both hands in surrender, although he was visibly struggling not to laugh. “Forget I said anything.”
Lan Wangji turned back to the screen. Nie Huaisang lasted approximately five seconds.
“Though technically, he still isn’t meeting you.”
Lan Wangji looked at him again.
“He’s meeting LanLanLand.”
“Huaisang.”
“Yes, yes. I’m done.”
They both knew he was not done.