Chapter Text
Wei Wuxian was having a lot of fun.
He might as well be, if he was going to be resurrected while the entire cultivation world hated him.
He was meandering back to Mo Xuanyu’s tiny courtyard when he noticed the junior Lan cultivators.
Hmm. They were using Spirit Attraction Flags, which were one of his inventions. Did they not know that?
Wei Wuxian walked a bit closer to eavesdrop on what they were saying.
“Sizhui, you will not believe the book I just read!” the loud Lan cultivator cried.
“Jingyi, we should be focused on the night hunt,” Sizhui chastised.
“Yes, yes, absolutely, but… the writing is just so captivating! And the plot is ridiculous!” Jingyi explained, hands moving wildly.
Sizhui let out a resigned sigh. “Why is it ridiculous?”
“Because! It’s a romance between Hanguang Jun and the Yiling Patriarch.”
Wei Wuxian’s meandering thoughts screeched to a halt.
What?
“But everyone knows they hate each other!” Jingyi continued, oblivious to Wei Wuxian’s current plight.
“Hanguang Jun did not hate Wei Wuxian,” Lan Sizhui stated cautiously.
“What?!” Jingyi exclaimed.
What?! Wei Wuxian echoed.
“Well, he was forced into seclusion for three years for protecting him,” Sizhui continued, “but we really shouldn’t be talking about this.”
Wei Wuxian… did not remember this happening.
“So is it true, then? Were they really in love?” Jingyi wondered excitedly.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
HA.
Ha.
Ha…
No? They were not…
“Gossip is forbidden,” Sizhui chastised.
Jingyi gasped. “Do you think… Hanguang Jun wrote the book?”
Sizhui leveled him with a look. “No.”
“You don’t sound very certain.”
“…what’s the book called?”
“Blood Moon Under White Clouds,” Jingyi informed him.
Sizhui made a face. “Oh, absolutely not, then. It would be something sad and melancholy.”
“Like Sizhui?”
Sizhui nodded gravely.
Oh, fuck. Were they implying Lan Zhan was in love with him??? And longed for him?
What the hell?!
“What’s the book again?” Sizhui asked curiously.
Jingyi grinned. “Oh, do you wanna borrow it?”
Sizhui blushed. “No!”
“Do you wanna read about Hanguang Jun and the Yiling Patriach doing it?” he snickered.
Sizhui’s face turned a ghostly shade of white. “No! No, absolutely not. Ew. Ew, disgusting, don’t let that book get within twenty feet of me.”
Hey! Him and Lan Zhan fucking would be very hot!
…
What??
“Well, it’s called Blood Moon Under White Clouds for a reason!” Jingyi cackled.
What was that supposed to mean??
“Jingyi!” Sizhui hissed. “Stop talking about cutsleeve… inappropriate books about my dad! You better copy the rules three times over when we get back!”
His dad? What the hell?
Did Lan Zhan have kids? Was he married? Then why were these juniors speculating about his relationship with the world’s most hated cultivator?
“Does that mean I can talk about other cutsleeve spring books?” Jingyi asked innocently.
“No! Jingyi!” Poor Sizhui’s face was bright red.
“What? Maybe I’m just exploring myself-“
“Jingyi!”
Wei Wuxian decided that now was the perfect time to inspect their work.
He darted into the courtyard, snatching up one of the flags. Hmm. It was surprisingly well crafted, and painted without any mistakes.
“Hey!” Jingyi yelled. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Um, it’s really better if you don’t touch those…” Sizhui told him politely.
“How old are you?” Wei Wuxian asked Sizhui intently.
“Seventeen…” he replied cautiously. “But I assure you, Mo-gongzi, we will take care of any problems.”
Wei Wuxian peered at him. “How long ago was Nightless City?” he pressed.
“Thirteen years ago?”
Ah?? Lan Zhan did not have a child back then. Unless… was it all a secret that he covered up?
“Who’s your mother?”
“I don’t know,” Sizhui answered.
At the same time, Jingyi yelled, “The Yiling Patriach!”
Wei Wuxian choked.
Sizhui elbowed Jingyi. “I don’t know,” he repeated. “I was adopted. My parents died in the war.”
Ah! There we go, mystery solved. It is very much like Hanguang Jun to adopt a war orphan! Not so much him having a secret affair.
Unless it was with him. Apparently.
Wei Wuxian stuck the flag back into place and scampered off, satisfied.
Especially as he retrieved his prize from where he had tucked it into his sleeve: Jingyi’s qiankun pouch.
He made his way back to Mo Xuanyu’s little room, sitting down in a corner that was slightly less covered in blood.
Making himself comfortable, Wei Wuxian pulled out Blood Moon Under White Clouds by Qi Cangbai. Well, Wei Wuxian was going to have some words with this Qi Cangbai. Or maybe just ask for some rights to the book, so he could make a little money.
Well. Here goes nothing.
One fateful night, destiny seemed to hang in the air. The full moon burned red in the sky. Perhaps it was the blood of the future, like a hidden prophecy.
It was not a clear night. Swirling clouds covered the starry heavens, but the blood moon still managed to peek through.
On a rooftop stood a man clad in black. The ribbon in his hair matched the hue of the moon, like a piece of blood unraveled straight from his heart.
His opponent stood before him, also bearing a ribbon. His, however, was a pristine white, like the clouds in the sky when light shone through.
“How dare you trespass,” he said to the handsome stranger.
The black-clad cultivator let out a tinkling laugh. “But I’m a guest!” he protested.
“Lying is forbidden,” Lan Wangji said coldly. “Why would you enter under the cover of night, if you were a guest?”
“To see you, of course.” Wei Wuxian flashed an impossible smile.
Lan Wangji glared at him as lightning seemed to shoot through his veins. He raised his sword and swung.
Wei Wuxian gasped, quickly drawing his own to parry the attack.
Their fight was like a dance. They bent like the branches of a tree in the wind, ducked and dodged with grace. Every strike was majestic. They each gave their all, but every elegant move was matched completely, and neither could land a hit. Their blood wasn’t drawn like the moon in the sky. Their skin remained pure snow, like the swirling clouds.
They were equals in all definitions of the word. Every part of Lan Wangji complimented Wei Wuxian perfectly, and every part of Wei Wuxian complimented Lan Wangji perfectly.
What the hell? This was all just flowery nonsense. Sure, the meeting wasn’t that far off, but it was all exaggerated! The moon was not full, and it definitely wasn’t red!
Wei Wuxian flipped through the book. It seemed to detail their time together at the Cloud Recesses, through a… poetic lense.
He caught the word “punishment” on the page and stopped there.
This must be their time in the library!
“Yes, yes, Lan er-gege, I’ll take my punishment,” Wei Wuxian babbled.
Lan Wangji thrust into Wei Wuxian, gripping his pale-
Wei Wuxian slammed the book shut.
What was that? This was not just taking creative liberties anymore, it was pure fantasy!
And surely… was that really how cutsleeve sex worked?
Wei Wuxian’s hand touched his backside, eyebrows furrowing.
Did that… feel good? He imagined Lan Wangji, undressing him—
Nope.
He shuddered, abruptly shoving the book back in Jingyi’s pouch.
Wei Wuxian did not want to think about that right now.
Except..
He took the novel out again, and opened it to where he had left off the first time.
Both Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were used to being the best among their peers, so this fight was very exciting…