Wei Wuxian had been drunk many times in his life, but he had never felt as dizzy and disoriented as he did while leaning against the wall, trying to figure out how to reconnect his body and mind after being pinned against the wall and kissed breathless by Lan Wangji.
Voices from the hallway brought him back to focus as a group of cultivators walked by the room he was in. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Wen Yuan would be looking for him in their rooms soon for bedtime. Wei Wuxian grimaced at the sticky feeling inside his trousers, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He straightened his robes as best he could, drew a shaky breath, and headed to his rooms.
He had completely forgotten that Jiang Yanli had taken A-Yuan to give him his bath, so of course she was waiting for Wei Wuxian in his room. Her eyes first widened, then narrowed as they focused on the base of his throat. Evidently he had not done a particularly good job of straightening himself up.
"A-Xian," Jian Yanli said carefully, glancing over to where A-Yuan was still in the tub. "Did something… are you alright?"
Wei Wuxian didn't really know how he was, but he knew he didn't want his sister to worry.
"Fine! I'm fine I just… uh…" Wei Wuxian didn't really know how to finish his sentence.
"Hm," Jiang Yanli said, looking at him for a moment longer, before giving herself a short nod. "Ok. Let me finish getting A-Yuan to bed. He said that he had to go and say goodnight to the kittens before he took his bath, so we're running a little late. You can take a bath while I do that, and then you and I are going to talk."
Wei Wuxian didn't know if he really wanted to talk about what had just happened, but he also really could use some advice on what the fuck was going on. There was no way he could possibly be engaged to Lan Wangji but… there was a possibility that that was what had just happened. He nodded to his shijie, and together they helped A-Yuan finish his bath and dry off, listening to him describe the kittens in an increasingly sleepy voice before Jiang Yanli took him to put him to sleep.
Wei Wuxian put a heating talisman on the tub to reheat the water, then quickly washed himself, along with his trousers. His emotions were a tangle of arousal, embarrassment, disbelief and at least ten other things. He felt the sting of the bathwater against the abrasions of his throat where Lan Wangji's lips and teeth had been. The twinge of pain definitely brought the 'arousal' portion of his emotional mess to the forefront, but he ignored it, knowing his sister would be returning soon. He dressed in his sleeping robe then sat down on his bed and began combing out his hair as he waited for his sister to return.
Jiang Yanli gently closed the door to A-Yuan's room, then came to sit next to Wei Wuxian on his bed. She looked over to where Wei Wuxian's trousers were hanging from a towel rack near the brazier by the bath, and eyed them for a moment.
"A-Xian. What happened?"
That was a question that Wei Wuxian himself still had not figured out the answer to, but he decided he should get to the important part first.
"I think… I think I might have somehow tricked Lan Zhan into getting engaged with me."
Jiang Yanli's lips parted in surprise, but then she quickly schooled her expression and reached out to take his hand.
"Hm. Would being engaged to Lan Zhan be a bad thing?" she asked, as though that was in any way a reasonable question.
"Yes! I mean, no! I don't know! Shijie, Lan Zhan is so… so great . He's the best! But this isn't how engagements of sect heirs work. This is a mistake, and it's going to get him in trouble and mess everything up!"
Jiang Yanli's expression gentled, and she carefully took the comb from where it lay forgotten in Wei Wuxian's hand and began combing out his hair.
"Don't worry about the sects, or even Lan Wangji right now. I only care about A-Xian, and his happiness. Would being engaged to Lan Wagnji make you happy, if everyone else supported it?"
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes. He knew Jiang Yanli was trying to be kind, but the sheer impossibility of the question she asked still cut him like a blade. She set the comb down, and instead ran her fingers through his hair, in the same soothing way she had when he was a child and had come down with the flu before his golden core had been strong enough to fight it off for him.
"XianXian is much too young and innocent to be engaged, much less to have tricked someone into it. Tell your shijie what happened. We will figure it out."
He slid off the bed and sat at her feet, laying his head in her lap as she stroked his hair. He began to talk, stumbling at first, the words tumbling out of him in a rush. He told her about the Xiangliu , about the cave they'd hidden in while he was healing after the assassination attempt. He told her about what had happened in the woods the day before, and the conversation they'd had at the inn, and then in the courtyard.
And finally, he told her about what had happened after dinner. He glossed over some of the more physical aspects, but he did tell her about what was said and that Lan Wangji had kissed him.
There was complete silence in the room when he had finished talking, though her hand still rested on his hair. He could feel the tension in her thighs, beneath his cheek and he turned his head to look up at her. Usually, Wei Wuxian was able to read his sister's expression, but for the moment, her face was closed off, and there was a hard glint in her eye that he had never seen before. He had taken care to not describe anything shameless that he and Lan Wangji had done, but maybe she had sensed it and was upset by his behavior. Or maybe she realized that Wei Wuxian had trapped someone way above his station into some sort of illicit affair and -
"A-Xian. Whatever you're thinking, please stop. I'm not angry with you ." Jiang Yanli rested her hand on the side of his face.
Wei Wuxian wasn't sure about the subtle stress she'd placed on the word 'you', because, really, there was no one else she could be angry with. But his shijie would not lie, so he simply waited to hear what else she would say.
"You are not the one who did any tricking, A-Xian. Lan Wangji was the one who brought it up. And he also was the one who initiated the… kissing."
Jiang Yanli's tone took on the slightest edge, and he looked up to see her gazing down at his throat. He rubbed a hand along it, feeling the twinge as his fingers pressed over the areas where Lan Wangji had marked his flesh. He could feel his face heat with embarrassment, but Jiang Yanli was soothing him again.
"My Xianxian is only three, and Lan Wangji should have spoken with me first before initiating these things. Or at least made his intentions to you more clear, if he feels that YunmengJiang's blessing is no longer required. But you did not trick him, A-Xian. This is what he wanted."
Wei Wuxian tried to get his head around that, but it didn't really fit with everything he'd ever known about Lan Wangji.
"Lan Zhan likes night hunting with me. And he doesn't really like to night hunt with anyone else outside of the Lan sect. But he could barely even tolerate being in the same room with me outside of night hunts ever since we first met! And cultivation partners go way beyond just tolerating someone. It's something totally different!"
Jiang Yanli looked down at him in sympathy as she breathed out a soft laugh. "Yes, A-Xian. I believe Lan Wangji has a much clearer idea about dual cultivation than my XianXian does. He is not the one who is confused on this point."
It suddenly occurred to him that his sister seemed to have been able to infer a lot of what had gone on between him and Lan Wangji by looking at the marks on his skin and the puffiness of his lips. He sat up, scowling.
"That Peacock better not have been trying to do anything like that with you."
Jiang Yanli arched an eyebrow, but there was no denying the soft blush that spread to her cheeks, nor the slightly smug look on her face.
"Zixuan is much more like you than you think. Which is the only reason that I have sympathy for Lan Wangji, despite his poor communication skills."
Wei Wuxian looked at his sister, his mind slowly processing the implications of what she had just said. If Jin Zixuan was like him, then Jiang Yanli had… been the one to initiate… things?
Wei Wuxian was not going to acknowledge this about his sister. She was flawless in all ways and could not possibly want to do the things that he and Lan Wangji had done with the peacock. No.
Jiang Yanli's amused laughter tinkled through the room, and Wei Wuxian felt himself start to breathe again with the warmth of it.
"Oh, A-Xian. I told you so many times not to put your Lan Wangji on a pedestal. And the same goes for me. Given how Lan Wangji has behaved, there can be no doubt that he is firm in his resolve to court you."
There were so many things that Wei Wuxian could reply to her statement, but she was already continuing with a question that brought him up short.
"Do you consider Lan Wangji to be a man who would toy with the affections of others?"
"No. He would never!" Wei Wuxian was offended by even the mention of the idea.
Jiang Yanli gave a short nod in agreement.
"Mm. I agree. And do you believe he is impulsive or lacks self-control?"
Wei Wuxian knew where she was going with this, but answered her anyway.
"No. Lan Zhan is probably the most ridiculously controlled person I know. Except for tonight, which is why-"
But Jiang Yanli held up a hand to stop him.
"We agree that he would not toy with you. We also agree that he is not a man who is unable to control his actions. Do you think he is a man who is unable to think about the consequences of his actions in advance? Is he unintelligent about the expectations of his sect or the rules that govern them?"
Wei Wuxian didn't bother to answer. Everyone knew how brilliant both Twin Jades of Lan were. There could be no dispute.
"Lan Wangji made a point to feed A-Yuan from his own bowl, in front of a group of influential people including many sect leaders. He left marks on you that will be visible no matter how you tie your robes. A-Xian. He is sure."
Wei Wuxian stared at her, trying to find a flaw in his sister's logic, but unable to do so. He wasn't sure if this was better or worse, though, because even if - for some bizarre reason - Lan Wangji wanted to be engaged to him, it didn't mean there wouldn't be terrible fallout for Lan Wangji if he made his disastrous choice known.
She patted his shoulder as she stood.
"It is good that he knows he will need to work harder to show you he is sincere. He will also need to work to get his sect's blessing. I am sure your Lan Wangji will be most diligent in his endeavors." Her smile sharpened. "And I will also remind Hanguang-Jun that - just because you are not officially part of the Jiang sect currently - you still have a big sister he will need to consult on such matters."
"Shijie!" Wei Wuxian absolutely did not want his sister, or - gods forbid - Jiang Cheng, hearing about any of the ways Lan Wangji might go about convincing him of some of the things they had discussed.
Jiang Yanli looked at him innocently (though Wei Wuxian knew her well enough to know not to trust her current expression).
"I simply meant in terms of negotiating with his family. We will need to ensure that you are not taken advantage of, nor punished by his sect when it is not their prerogative to do so."
Wei Wuxian had no reply to that, though he did briefly wonder if Lan Qiren would be able to stand against Jiang Yanli if she really decided to confront him. He suspected the man would lose, and half wanted it to happen just so he could see the look on the Lan Elder's face when he did.
After his sister left to go to her own chambers, Wei Wuxian put out the lanterns, and forced himself to lay down in bed. It was a long time before sleep finally claimed him.
Morning came far too early, with Wen Yuan burrowing into Wei Wuxian's bed claiming he was hungry and that Wei Wuxian had overslept. Based on the angle of the light slanting through the windows, though, it was still quite early. They had plenty of time to make breakfast, though they would have missed the first wave of people. Fortunately, the Nie did not keep Lan hours.
Wei Wuxian pulled on his robes and quickly tied his hair up in the messy ponytail he usually kept it in. The marks on his throat from the night before were clearly visible above the collar of his robes. Wei Wuxian pressed his thumb into the darkest one, the slight twinge reminding him of how it came to be there. He wanted to leave them out for all to see, but Jiang Cheng was still in residence and his martial brother's short temper was not something he wanted to deal with while he was still figuring things out with Lan Wangji. He placed two fingers above the spot and directed a narrow flow of his qi to the broken blood vessels. He was not very good at healing, but a simple scrape and small bruise was easy enough to remove.
He wondered what Lan Wangji was thinking. If he had changed his mind from the night before. If he had regrets. If he wanted to kiss Wei Wuxian again.
Wei Wuxian decided that the best way to find out was to find the man and ask him directly.
When they arrived in the dining hall, Wei Wuxian's eyes were immediately drawn to where Lan Wangji, seated in the middle of the room, looked as pristine in his flawless white robes and elaborate hairstyle. No one would ever guess by looking at him that he had pinned Wei Wuxian to the wall and kissed the breath out of him the night before. Wei Wuxian felt a heady thrum of possessiveness in knowing that he was the only one to have borne witness to that.
"Xian-gege, let's go ! Before all the steamed buns are gone!" A-Yuan's voice and insistent tugging on his sleeve brought him back to the current moment. He had been so focused on Lan Wangji that he hadn't noticed that the man was seated between Nie Mingjue and Jiang Yanli, with Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang on either side of them. Based on the icily determined expression on Lan Wangji's face, and the fierce scowl adorning Jiang Cheng's, they appeared to be in some sort of an argument. It did not take a genius to figure out what the likely subject of the discussion was, but he wondered if Lan Wangji had initiated it or Jiang Yanli. Whoever it was, he wished that they had not involved Jiang Cheng. It would only make everything more complicated and contentious.
As Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan made their way through the room, Lan Wangji was the first to notice them, his eyes locking on Wei Wuxian. The annoyed iciness disappeared from his face, and his eyes seemed to almost warm, though there was no discernible change in his expression. The others noticed Lan Wangji's distraction and Wei Wuxian suddenly found himself at the center of 5 sets of eyes.
He was incredibly glad he'd had the foresight to remove the marks from his neck, and briefly considered turning around and walking right back out of the room, but Wen Yuan was already racing over, greeting everyone cheerfully as he looked at what they were eating.
Lan Wangji had clearly finished eating some time ago, as his dishes had already been cleared away. Whatever Lan sect rules Lan Wangji had broken the night before, he had at least waited until he was finished eating before speaking. Lan Wangji's eyes moved to the base of Wei Wuxian's throat where the marks had been removed. A small frown appeared on the Second Jade of Lan's face.
Having greeted everyone, A-Yuan ran off to get some food from one of the tables nearby that still had some of the pork steamed bun that he liked. It was just in time, because Jiang Cheng lashed out at Lan Wangji as soon as the boy was out of earshot.
"There's no fucking way I'm letting him go to Cloud Receses! They beat him with a plank just for drinking . I'm not going to see what they come up with for demonic cultivation! If he sets foot on GusuLan territory, he falls under their jurisdiction and they can do whatever the fuck they want with him since he doesn't belong to another sect. They don't need to ask anyone for permission."
Wei Wuxian decided to find out what was going on before he went to get food for himself, and took a seat at the table across from Lan Wangji.
"What do you mean, you'll 'let me'?" Wei Wuxian asked Jiang Cheng, wondering at what point he had decided to become Wei Wuxian's keeper. Though he sort of agreed with the man's point about not going to Cloud Recesses.
Lan Wangji looked at Wei Wuxian as he replied to Jiang Cheng.
"I will make them listen to Wei Ying. I will not let them punish him."
Jiang Cheng looked like he was about to explode, and even Nie Mingjue was looking skeptical, but before either could say anything, Nie Huaisaing spoke.
"Lan Qiren could come here."
Nie Huaisang lifted his fan to cover his face when everyone turned to look at him.
"I mean, I don't know! I really don't know. But Wei-xiong going to Cloud Recesses seems… very risky. I think? I don't know. But if the issue is his safety in GusuLan territory, having the hearing here would solve that. Wouldn't it?"
The idea of summoning Lan Qiren all the way to the Unclean Realm to see if he'd be willing to overlook Wei Wuxian's entire... everything seemed like a very bad idea.
"Why would we have Lan Qiren come here , or have me go there? Wouldn't it be a better idea to keep the the two of us as far apart as possible?"
Wei Wuxian was appalled at where this conversation seemed to be heading. Or where it had started. At all of it, in total. When he had told Lan Wangji that part of why they could not be cultivation partners was due to the fact that his sect hated him, he had not meant that Lan Wangji should go and confront his entire sect on Wei Wuxian's behalf!
"Wei Ying said the blessing of my sect elders was important. If Uncle changes his stance, the others will follow. Brother is already supportive," Lan Wangji said implacably.
"They already decided, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian replied.
"Uncle did not take time to hear the facts. Making assumptions is forbidden. Judging others harshly is forbidden."
Wei Wuxian gave a short huff of a laugh. "Lan Zhan. Your uncle isn't exactly known for changing his mind. He threw a scroll at me for just mentioning the possibility of cultivating resentful energy. It was forbidden to show anger, to throw things, and to raise one's voice but he had no problems doing all of that for just the mention of the topic. He's never going to change his mind."
Lan Wangji's lips tightened, though he didn't disagree. "Then that will be Uncle's burden to bear. If the sect supports his wrong actions, then that is their choice."
Wei Wuxian felt a heavy tension descend over the group, and he had a feeling he was missing a key piece of information.
"All the more reason that Wei Wuxian shouldn't go to Cloud Recesses," Jiang Cheng said, giving Wei Wuxian a side-eye. "If they're about to lose their sect heir over this, then I don't want him anywhere near their territory. The Lan sect has a rule against holding grudges, but I wouldn't want to test it."
"What!?" Wei Wuxian stood, nearly falling over backward with the force of his own movement. People turned to stare at them, but Wei Wuxian didn't care. "Jiang Cheng! What the fuck are you saying? Have they threatened to expel Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian turned frantic eyes on Lan Wangji. There had been rumors of the Lan sect being displeased with the Second Jade's close association with Wei Wuxian during the war, but Wei Wuxian had no idea it had gone this far. "Lan Zhan! You have to tell them it was all a mistake! You can't let them do this to you! Look, we can tell them that I used wicked tricks on you to-"
" Wei Ying ," Lan Wangji interrupted, standing so he was looking Wei Wuxian in the eye from across the table. The rest of the room had fallen silent, all eyes on them. "I approached Sect Leader Nie early this morning. I formally petitioned him to -," he was cut off before he could finish.
"Hanguang-Jun! Sect Leader Nie!" Meng Yao called out as he hurriedly approached them from across the room. Wei Wuxian had not even realized the man had returned from helping Jin Zixuan sort out the mess that his father had made with the Jin sect. "I am so sorry for interrupting but there is an urgent matter that requires your attention in the Discussion Room. If all of you could please follow me."
Nie Huaisang stood, nodding frantically, his fan fluttering rapidly. "Yes. Yes, it would be good to have everyone's input on this. Thank you, Meng Yao, for bringing this matter to our attention immediately."
Wei Wuxian had not taken his eyes of Lan Wangji. What could he have petitioned Nie Mingjue for that had Meng Yao racing across the room to keep it from being stated publicly? The Discussion Room was deep within Nie Mingjue's private wing, and was only used for the most serious of matters. It was heavily warded for privacy and security.
Wei Wuxian forgot about the fact that he had not eaten breakfast as he followed the group out of the public dining hall, a quick glance showing him that Wen Ning had already guided Wen Yuan to a table and would make sure that Wen Yuan made it to class on time.
The door closed behind them with a heavy, muted thump, the warding against eavesdropping cutting off the sound of the thick pieces of wood coming together.
Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji, afraid of what the man might say but knowing that he needed to hear it.
"Lan Zhan. What have you done?"
Lan Wangji looked perfectly serene when he told Wei Wuxian that he had asked permission to join the Nie sect if his own sect elders banished him, and whether the Nie elders would be supportive of his betrothal to Wei Wuxian.
"I assured him that they would," Nie Mingjue said calmly, as though they weren't discussing the absolutely impossible notion of the most filial of Lan disciples defecting from his sect.
"Lan Zhan. You… why ?"
Lan Wangji did not look upset nor conflicted about the fact that he might face imminent expulsion from the sect he had dedicated his entire life to.
"I believe in the rules and values I was taught. I have spent my life adhering to their letter but also their spirit. If my sect is no longer going to uphold those rules, then I must follow my own path. Adherence to the righteous path is more important than acceptance from others."
Guilt and anguish crashed through Wei Wuxian. This was all his fault. He had tarnished the purest and most admired of all cultivators. He had brought Lan Wangji so low that the man was about to be kicked out of his sect.
It was unthinkable. Untenable.
He could not let this happen.
"Get the fuck out of your own head," Jiang Cheng bit out, slamming his shoulder into Wei Wuxian's, nearly sending him stumbling and forcing him to engage his core to steady himself. It worked both physically and mentally, just like his brother knew it would, though Lan Wangji looked like he was about to draw Bichen.
"The Nie sect would be honored to have Hanguang-Jun join us. But it is unlikely to come to that," Nie Mingjue said as they all took their seats around the large table in the center of the sealed room.
"Indeed," Meng Yao agreed, smiling in the carefully controlled way that always made Wei Wuxian think that the man had many thoughts inside his head that no one would ever guess the contents of. "GusuLan would not wish to lose their heir. Nor would they wish to earn the enmity of such a powerful potential enemy."
Wei Wuxian looked from Meng Yao over to Nie Mingjue. "Red Blade Master and Zewu Jun have been friends forever. They wouldn't make enemies of their sects over something like this!"
Nie Mingjue gave a low chuckle. "I would never view Xichen as my enemy. But his elders… that is a different matter, depending on the actions they took. They have not always felt kindly towards my family's way of cultivation. However, I don't think that the Nie is the 'powerful enemy' that Meng Yao was referring to."
Wei Wuxian looked back to Meng Yao, watching the man's smile curve in the way that Wei Wuxian was pretty sure meant he was losing patience. However, it wasn't Meng Yao's patience that snapped.
"Gods, Wei Wuxian! You're a fucking dumbass. Why do people always persist in saying you're a genius!" Jiang Cheng snarled. "It's you , Wei Wuxian. You are the powerful potential enemy that the Lan needs to fucking look out for. The Wen were a much more powerful sect than GusuLan has ever been, and you wiped the floor with them. Only a blind idiot would miss how obsessed you are with Lan Wangji. If they decide to fuck around and find out by punishing or expelling Lan Wangji, I don't think anyone would expect you to just sit back and let that happen."
Wei Wuxian felt an instant surge of dark anger flood through him at the thought of anyone daring to harm Lan Wangji because of him. If the Lan sect wanted to punish Wei Wuxian, then that was one thing. He had heard the whisperings of the punishment that the Lan elders had discussed for him, had he returned to their sect to face judgement. He would face their infamous discipline whip if he needed to. But if they thought they could inflict a punishment like that on Lan Zhan simply because the man chose to help him during the war, Wei Wuxian would not hesitate to raze Cloud Recesses to the ground. He would -
"A-Xian," Jiang Yanli's gentle voice reached him even as he registered her small hand resting on his arm. "It's alright. No one is hurting Lan Wangji. Everyone is safe."
Wei Wuxian blinked away the red haze that had filled his vision at the image of Lan Wangji being whipped on his behalf, and saw the rest of the room staring at him. Adrenaline was still pounding through his system, and he realized that his hand was tightly wrapped around Chenqing , his knuckles white from the force of his grip. Nie Huaisang looked like he was about to faint, and even Jiang Cheng was slightly pale, but also angrier than usual.
Nie Mingjue almost seemed amused. "Like I said. I'm not the one the Lan sect needs to worry about."
Lan Wangji looked… Wei Wuxian was not sure how to describe the expression. But his golden eyes were dark and burning as they locked at Wei Wuxian. It reminded him of the way Lan Wangji had looked at him when he'd pinned Wei Wuxian to the wall the night before and -
"Get a fucking room! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jiang Cheng's shout of rage barely registered to Wei Wuxian, since it had been common background noise for most of his life, but it was enough for Lan Wangji to break eye contact, even if it was only to glare at Jiang Cheng once again.
"Ah, yes. Exactly," Meng Yao said, his smile still in place, but his hands trembled slightly as he placed them elegantly on the table. "As I was going to say, it is better to have the discussion here, with Lan Qiren and Zewu Jun. The elders will defer to whatever decision they make in this case. It is probably best to keep the audience small to prevent any… unfortunate outcomes."
The anger that had been pulsing through him moments before still simmered close to the surface. No one was going to harm or shame Lan Wangji. Of all the elders, Lan Qiren at least cared for his nephews, so Meng Yao was probably correct in his notion that having him alone would be best. But Wei Wuxian still felt that even approaching the topic was a mistake, if it meant that Lan Wangji might need to give up his sect. Everyone just seemed to be going along with the idea and Wei Wuxian wasn't sure what he could do to stop it from happening. At least Meng Yao had prevented Lan Wangji from publicly stating that he was considering leaving the Lan. Nothing was irreversible.
Yet.
Except that Wei Wuxian knew Lan Wangji well enough to know that he did not use his words lightly. If he said he was going to confront his elders and leave if they still insisted on condemning and banishing Wei Wuxian, then he had given it enough thought to commit to that act. But maybe Wei Wuxian could talk some sense into him.
"Lan Zhan. We should talk about this before you ask your uncle to come," Wei Wuxian said. "You don't have to do this."
Lan Wangji's jaw tensed in its most stubborn set. Wei Wuxian sighed.
"It will take some time for us to send a message to Cloud Recesses and for both Lan Qiren and Zewu-Jun to arrive, as they are both in the middle of negotiations on the post-war efforts," Meng Yao said. "In the meantime, I understand that Wei Wuxian has been night hunting for the Nie sect?"
Nie Mingjue gave an affirmative nod, while Jiang Cheng glowered.
"Actually, that reminds me!" Nie Huaisang said. If Wei Wuxian didn't know him so well, he would have believed that the Nie sect heir was sincere in having his memory triggered. But the tiny glance towards Meng Yao gave him away. Wei Wuxian wondered what the two of them had cooked up. And why it seemed like it involved him night hunting. "Da ge has had me helping coordinate the requests for help and reports of potential night hunts. There are a few matters that I have not had the manpower to attend to, with all of the post war efforts and Wei Wuxian still recovering. But with the two of you,there should be no issue handling them if you are planning on staying in the Unclean Realm as you wait for your family to arrive."
Lan Wangji inclined his head in affirmation. Wei Wuxian felt the back of his neck prickle when he remembered Lan Wangji's words from before.
"I will night hunt with Wei Ying. I will not marry anyone else."
Wei Wixuan tried to fight down the possessive curl in his belly at the thought of being the one Lan Wangji would night hunt with. He needed to talk Lan Wangji out of his crazy plan, not pour oil onto the fire. But the idea of night hunting together hit differently after what had happened between them the night before. At least, it did for Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji's face gave nothing away.
"Excellent! Then you can start with the report of a suspected yaoguai in a village about six hours by sword from here. Some of the local cultivators tried to take it on and none of them made it back in one piece. It might give Wei-xiong something to um… take out some of his anger on? It is in a deeply forested area, so it might take some time to find it, but it has been killing villagers and travelers in the area. I will find the request from the local officials when we finish up here."
Jiang Yanli narrowed her eyes at Nie Huaisang, who looked innocently back at her from behind his fan.
"Six hours by sword is a long journey. A-Xian has been sticking with night-hunts that do not require overnight stays so he can return to be with A-Yuan."
Wei Wuxian was torn. As much as he wanted to have a challenging night hunt, he hated to leave A-Yuan alone. It would have to happen eventually, but he wasn't sure the child was ready yet. But depending on what type of monster it was, leaving it unattended could cost more lives.
"Oh!" Nie Huaisang said. "I mentioned to A-Yuan yesterday that many of his classmates live in the disciple dormitory. He asked if he could try sleeping over with one of his friends in their room to see if he liked it. And, if not, I'm sure Wen Ning would be happy to have Wen Yuan sleep over in his rooms. It would be good for him to readjust to Wei Wuxian going on occasional night hunts that take him away from home overnight, now that he is recovered."
"Not without a chaperone," Jiang Cheng bit out.
Wei Wuxian spun to face him, not sure if his brother was serious or joking. The angry look on Jiang Cheng's face made it clear he was serious.
"What? Lan Zhan and I have been night hunting together for years!"
"And you should have had a chaperone then, too, by the looks of it!" Jiang Cheng snapped back.
Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. "Chaperone to keep us from killing each other, maybe. Lan Zhan hated me back then."
Lan Wangji bristled. "I did not hate Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian felt his neck flush. "Lan Zhan! You can't just say things like that when I'm not expecting it!"
"Ugh, You're both gross. What do either of you know about how betrothed people act, anyway? Your whole fucking courtship with each other has been night hunts and sparring since you met!"
Wei Wuxian was not sure his brother was entirely wrong, but the idea that they needed a chaperone was still insulting.
"I'm not going to… to seduce Lan Zhan on a night hunt!" Wei Wuxian said in disbelief.
Ok, he might definitely be… interested in kissing Lan Wangji again, and maybe returning the favor from the night before, but not in the middle of a night hunt where people could get hurt. Plus, Lan Wangji always drew attention wherever he went. Wei Wuxian might flirt with him when they were together, but he would never actually do something out in public that could ruin the man's reputation.
Meng Yao breathed out something that sounded like 'you're not the one we're worried about ', but Wei Wuxian was pretty sure he heard that wrong.
"A-Xian," Jiang Yanli said softly. "No one is accusing you or Lan Wangji of anything inappropriate. But there are optics to be considered. Yes, you used to night hunt together all the time, but that was before you were engaged."
"Are they actually engaged?" Meng Yao asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "I thought that they were holding off until they had the blessing of GusuLan. Are they going to announce it before Lan Qiren even arrives to hear them make their case?"
The sound of Jiang Cheng grinding his teeth was the only sound in the room for a moment.
Meng Yao continued. "If an announcement has been made, then I agree that a chaperone might be required. It will make things more contentious for the Lan elders, but it is what it is. If an announcement has not been made, then Wei Wuxian is correct. They have been night hunting together for years, and it would be odd to suddenly impose a chaperone on them. It would imply that something improper has occurred."
Jiang Yanli did not look pleased, and Jiang Cheng looked absolutely livid. But Meng Yao was right and there was nothing to be done about it.
"You could still just do local night hunts. We have plenty of those," Nie Huaisang offered, though no one seemed to like that answer, either. No matter how stretched resources were at the moment, it was a sect's job to protect its citizens. At least, it should be.
Wei Wuxian met Lan Wangji's gaze. In the end, Lan Wangji had the most at stake in this decision.
"Let us speak with A-Yuan first. If he is not ready for Wei Ying to be separated from him for more than a day, then we will need to find another solution for the yaoguai. If he is, then there is no need for a chaperone. We will acquire separate rooms, if an overnight stay is needed."
Jiang Yanli observed Lan Wangji closely for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you, Hanguang Jun. I trust you will keep in mind our discussion from earlier and treat my brother with the care he deserves."
Lan Wangji inclined his head in agreement, while Jiang Cheng looked suspiciously between the two of them.
"What discussion?" Jiang Cheng asked sharply.
Jiang Yanli reached over and patted his hand. "Nevermind, A-Cheng. It is handled."
Wei Wuxian was definitely going to ask Lan Wangji what his sister had spoken with him about, though he had a feeling it had to do with the state of his neck when he'd returned to his rooms the other night. On one hand, he was mortified that Jiang Yanli might very well have had some sort of shovel talk with Lan Wangji. But it felt… good to have someone who cared enough to go toe-to-toe with Lan Wangji for him. Not that he needed it. Lan Wangji was the most honorable person there was, but he was also an incredibly powerful cultivator, and Jiang Yanli was not.
Wei Wuxian would be lying if he didn't admit that he missed the rush of night hunting with Lan Wangji. And Nie Huaisang wasn't wrong that Wei Wuxian could use something more serious to fight right then, given he wasn't going to be able to run his sword through Lan Qiren if the man said shitty things about Lan Wangji. Though if the man tried to raise a hand against Lan Zhan, then that was a different matter entirely.
But it would give him an excuse to get Lan Wangji away from everyone who seemed to be somehow willing to send him on a direct path to getting kicked out of his sect. Lan Wangji was rational. Wei Wuxian would be able to convince him that - whatever this thing was between them - it wasn't worth Lan Wangji giving up everything he'd worked his whole life to build.
Everything had happened so fast, and they'd clearly both gotten carried away the night before. All Wei Wuxian had to do was keep his hormones in check and have a rational conversation with the Second Jade, and they could fix this mess.
He could totally handle it.