Nie Huaisang's head tilted, as though Wei Wuxian's words had caught his attention.
"Hm. That's true. The Nie sect has a handfasting ritual that couples often use rather than going through the whole ordeal of a formal ceremony. Though, of course, we're much more lax about the whole sex and pleasure thing than the Lan are. We're more lax about pretty much everything compared to the Lan, now that I think about it."
Lan Wangji stilled beneath Wei Wuxian. "GusuLan also has handfasting. It is rarely used. But permissible."
Wei Wuxian looked between Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji. He had never really thought about marriage customs, outside of what his Shijie would be needing for her own ceremony. Since she had her heart set on a Jin, there was never any question that her wedding would involve every ceremonial aspect known to the cultivation world. The idea of skipping all that for himself was incredibly appealing.
"So, we could just… get married? Like, today? Right now?"
Lan Wangji turned to look at Wei Wuxian, the answer clear in the hot, possessive gaze. He could feel Lan Wangji's hips flex up fractionally, instinctively at the thought of being married.
At the thought of fucking his husband .
Wei Wuxian suddenly really wanted Nie Huaisang to be somewhere else. They would do whatever the handfasting ritual was, as soon as humanly possible.
"Then why have we been bothering talking about anything else?" Wei Wuxian asked, suppressing a shiver as Lan Wangji's fingers began working inside him, the movement just barely concealed beneath Wei Wuxian's robes.
He could be married to Lan Zhan. No one would be able to make them stay apart. He could sleep with Lan Zhan every night. They could have their 'everyday' every day, and not even Jiang Cheng could object (though that would not stop him, but everyone would know it was just for show). A-Yuan could have another father, one who was not hated by half the cultivation world.
Wei Ying would belong to Lan Zhan and Lan Zhan would belong to him. What the fuck were they waiting for? They already had all the downside of their desire to be married in terms of the political fallout. Why not at least get the benefits of actually being married?
Nie Huaisang coughed, reminding them of his (now very unwanted) presence.
"Well. I will leave you two to… ah… discuss things." He turned to leave, then stopped, looking over his shoulder as though just remembering something. "Oh, Wei-xiong! Da-ge said he put memorial tablets for your parents in the Nie ancestral hall, since you are now a member of our sect. Jiang Cheng had mentioned that Sect Leader Jiang had never done so while you were at Lotus Pier, and he wanted to make sure it was rectified here immediately. Lan Qiren has been sedated and the Lan escort will be bringing him back to Cloud Recesses tomorrow. The elders have returned to their quarters to rest until dinner, since they will be leaving early in the morning and have been sitting vigil with Lan Qiren since yesterday. In case you wanted to see him before he leaves."
Lan Wangji's face did something complicated at Nie Huaisang's words that Wei Wuxian was not sure how to interpret.
"This one thanks Second Master Nie for his foresight."
Nie Huaisang fluttered his fan at Lan Wangji's formal words. "What? I have no idea what you're talking about, Hanguang-Jun. I'm just passing along information. I'll leave you two alone. Don't get up on my account! But I can't guarantee how long it will last, since other people are looking for you, under the mistaken impression that you require a chaperone."
The suggestive amusement in his voice caused Wei Wuixan's face to heat.
"Brother will leave with Uncle. We will take the evening meal with him as well as Sect Leader Jiang and Jiang guniang." Lan Wangji's words seemed heavily weighted, and Nie Huaisang straightened, considering them.
After a moment he gave a slight bow, a pleased smile appearing on his face before he covered it with his fan. "I will arrange it."
He turned and left, the silence that descended doing nothing to disrupt Wei Wuixan's racing thoughts. Nie Huaisang's footfalls had faded into the distance before he spoke. He looked down at Lan Wangji, finding the man watching him closely.
"Lan Zhan. Is it true? We can just… be married?"
"Mm," Lan Wangji replied, though he seemed almost hesitant. "Wei Ying would not mind not having a more formal ceremony?"
Wei Wuxian could have shouted in frustration. "Why would I possibly want to wait if I could have Lan Zhan as my husband today?"
"Wei Ying deserves to be properly wed," Lan Wangji said stubbornly.
"What Wei Ying deserves is to be properly fucked by his husband ." Wei Wuxian was gratified to hear the sharp intake of breath from Lan Wangji, but he suddenly worried that maybe the Second Jade of Lan was the one who wanted a proper ceremony. He had said 'no' to Nie Huaisang's statement of them waiting a year, but that didn't mean he wanted to forego the wedding entirely. "But if Lan Zhan wants to have a proper ceremony, it's fine. I don't mind waiting. We can just -"
Before Wei Wuxian could finish his sentence, Lan Wangji had taken his clean hand and pulled his forehead ribbon from his head while his other hand gripped Wei Wuxian's hip to keep him in place.
"No. No waiting. Have waited enough."
He grabbed Wei Wuxian's arm, pulling it up as he wrapped the ribbon several times around his wrist before pressing his own against it, using his teeth to encircle his own wrist, binding them together.
Wei Wuxian remembered how many times Lan Wangji had nearly taken his arm off for just touching the forehead ribbon. And now it was wrapped around his wrist, binding him to Lan Wangji.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian breathed, his eyes wide as Lan Wangji turned his hand, threading their fingers together.
The Lan head ribbon was for family.
It was sacred.
And it was now wrapped around Wei Wuxian's wrist.
Wei Wuxian squeezed Lan Wangji's fingers firmly between his own. He wound his other hand into Lan Wangji's hair and pulled him close, kissing him deeply. Lan Wangji's hand gripped him back, their fingers twined tightly together as their tongues slid softly against each other.
The sects and the elders had no place in this moment. Their bond was between the two of them, tying them together as husbands, not pawns on a political board.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian murmured against Lan Wangji's lips, frustrated because he wanted to speak but also didn't want to stop kissing him. "Love you. Want this. Want to be married to Lan Zhan."
Lan Wangji shuddered beneath him, his hips thrusting up, reminding Wei Wuxian that they had unfinished business that they'd started before Nie Huaisang had interrupted them. (He was willing to forgive his friend because it had ended up with him getting married to Lan Wangji on the forest floor instead of however many months away an actual wedding would have taken.)
Lan Wangji thrust his fingers of his free hand back inside Wei Wuxian, moving them in time with his hips, watching every expression of pleasure that raced across Wei Wuxian's face.
"Want you. Want you. Want you," Wei Wuxian chanted, feeling increasingly dissatisfied with Lan Wangji's fingers when he could feel his thick cock moving so close to where it needed to be.
Lan Wangji pulled his fingers out, causing Wei Wuxian to hiss in frustration, and reached between them, smearing the remaining cum from Wei Wuxian's stomach and coated his dick with it.
He laid back on the grass, pulling their bound hands back to rest by his head, his palm facing up, with Wei Wuxian's hand on top of his, pressing down into the earth. Wei Wuxian braced his other hand on Lan Wangji's shoulder as he lifted his hips up. Keeping his eyes locked on Lan Wangji's, he shifted back so he could feel the head of Lan Wangji's cock pressing insistently where his fingers had been before. Lan Wangji's free hand held it in position, but he didn't thrust up, letting Wei Wuxian set the pace. It felt significantly bigger than three of Lan Wangji's fingers, and Wei Wuxian hesitated.
"Wei Ying ."
Wei Wuxian wasn't sure if it was a question or a plea, but it gave him the impetus he needed to move.
"Fuck, Lan Zhan. You're bigger than you're supposed to be for this," Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth as he bore down.
Both of them gasped as Lan Wangji's head breached Wei Ying, their joined hands gripping each other tightly. Wei Wuxian's thighs were trembling, and Lan Wangji's breath was coming in rapid, shallow pants as he fought to keep himself still, his free hand gripping Wei Wuxian's hip in a bruising grip.
The feeling of being stretched was overwhelming, and somewhat painful, but the sheer fact that Lan Wangjji was inside him overrode anything else. He began to slowly sink down on Lan Wangji's cock, feeling it pushing in, stretching him wide with an almost unbearable pressure. The books Nie Huaisang had shown him all those years ago did not prepare him for what it felt like. Lan Wangji closed his eyes, and suddenly Lan Wangji's qi was pouring thick and strong into Wei Wuxian's lower dantian.
"Oh, fuck. Lan Zhan!"
If he had thought he knew what it felt for Lan Zhan to be inside him before, it was nothing compared to how it felt now. The smooth, powerful feel of the spiritual essence of Lan Wangji shot straight through his meridians, pulsing into his core. He was fucking him just as completely with his qi as he was with his body. Wei Wuxian's thighs lost their hold, and he slid down seated fully on Lan Wangji's dick.
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji gritted out, the flow of his qi shivering but not relenting. Wei Wuxian opened up his own pathways, letting his own qi flow into Lan Wangji's, sending it down through his center.
Lan Wangji's golden eyes widened and went nearly black with how blown his pupils were. They had exchanged qi before, but it had never felt like this. There was a feedback loop of pleasure and power. It was better than anything Wei Wuxian had ever felt. He was so filled with the depth of connection to Lan Wangji that he thought nothing could ever be more than this.
Then Lan Wangji began to move, and Wei Wuxian's brain ceased to function. Every fibre of his being was focused on the feel of their bodies joined: their hands gripped tight, the pleasure-pain drag of Lan Wangji's cock moving deep inside him. Their qi flowed like a riptide back and forth between them, creating a resonance between their cores.
Wei Wuxian wasn't exactly sure what words were coming out of his mouth, except that Lan Zhan's name was making up the majority of them. Lan Wangji's hips were snapping up with a bruising force, the flow of spiritual energy building in waves between them until everything whited out and waves crashed. Wei Wuxian felt the hairs on the back of his arms stand on end as pleasure rippled through him, leaving his body shuddering in its wake as he collapsed forward on Lan Wangji's chest.
Wei Wuxian knew he was alive, because could feel the rise and fall of Lan Wangji's breaths, and heard the racing of Lan Wangji's heart begin to slow. He realized his eyes were closed, and slowly opened them. Lan Wangji was looking up at him, his entire expression open and soft and almost wondering.
They lay together on the soft grass as the evening light limned everything in gold around them. The soft sound of the water in the nearby brook centered them back on their current location.
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji murmured, taking their joined hands and brushing his fingertips along Wei Wuxian's temple before tracing along his cheekbone. He could feel Lan Wangji's softening inside him, the slick feel of his cum leaking out.
"I… am not sure I can move," Wei Wuxian managed, trying to get his brain connected back with his body again. His golden core was humming, filled with an energy that wasn't fully his own. Any doubts he had that dual cultivation could rapidly strengthen a cultivator's core were gone.
"Mm," Lan Wangji said, gently maneuvering them so they were side-by-side. "Our cores connected."
Wei Wuxian blinked, not entirely sure he knew exactly what that meant, but he definitely could feel it.
"If this is what dual cultivation is like, I don't understand why cultivators would ever do anything else."
Lan Wangji's lips curve into a tiny smile. "Discipline."
"Ugh. Yeah, fuck discipline, though. We are doing this again as soon as I can feel my legs."
Lan Wangji stirred. "People will come. First, we have to make our bows."
He sat up, pulling out of Wei Wuxian's body, much to Wei Wuxian's objections.
"Lan Zhaan! How can you be moving? You just ruthlessly fucked your poor husband on the ground. I need time to recover!"
"Mm. I will take responsibility."
Lan Wangji helped Wei Wuxian up, using their still-bound hands. For all of Lan Wangji's calm determination, Wei Wuxian could feel his hand trembling in his. They walked over to the river where they were able to wash up somewhat, though there was no salvaging Wei Wuxian's pants.
"I have new clothes for Wei Ying. Will bathe first."
They straightened themselves up as much as possible, though it wouldn't fool anyone who looked too closely, especially with their hands still bound. With the feel of Lan Wangji's qi pulsing through his body, none of that seemed particularly important. Wei Wuxian looked up at the darkening sky above them.
"Time for our first bow?"
Keeping his hand clasped in Lan Wangji's, they turned and bowed to the heavens. As the sky had already borne witness to their consummation, it didn't seem disrespectful to make their bows in less than pristine condition.
Their second bow would be done after their bath. Lan Wangji seemed unconcerned as he gently guided Wei Wuxian to begin walking back towards the keep.
Neither of them spoke as they walked and the few people they encountered were focused on their own business and didn't spare them a second look. Lan Wangji guided them to his own rooms, where there was no chance of accidentally running into A-Yuan before they had properly cleaned themselves up. There was a large basin of water, which Lan Wangji heated with a talisman. They cleaned their hands with Lan Wangji's sandalwood soap before untying their bound hands and removing their clothing. There was not time for a full bath, but they were able to clean each other well with the soft bathing cloth.
The act was oddly soothing, rather than sexual, despite both of them being unclothed. It spoke more of care-taking than lust, with both of them still feeling the other's spiritual energy moving through their meridians, humming in their cores. Wei Wuxian still felt the ache deep in his body, marking Lan Wangji's physical presence there as well. He liked the feel, liked the reminder of what they were to each other now.
When they were both clean and dried, the first thing Lan Wangji did was tie his forehead ribbon around Wei Wuxian's wrist, before even getting dressed. The first time it had been tied to him, the moment had been rushed, then overshadowed by their consummation as cultivation partners. This time, Lan Wangji took his time, carefully crossing the strands of the ribbon back and forth around Wei Wuxian's wrist before tying it off.
"You don't need it back?" Wei Wuxian asked, somewhat breathless at being in sole possession of something that signified so much to Lan Wangji.
"Everything I have is now Wei Ying's. Wei Ying is now the one who holds my restraint."
Wei Wuxian felt his throat grow tight at the earnest words. He pulled the red ribbon from his own hair. Lan Wangji was watching him silently. Wei Wuxian felt a little uncertain. Compared to what Lan Wangji had just given him, his own ribbon was nothing much. Still, it meant something to him.
"This isn't sacred. Not like yours. But when I was a child, the only thing that I had left from my mother was a red ribbon. It wasn't spiritually imbued the way yours is, so… eventually it fell apart. But I always look for one that looks the same. It's… it's not much compared you yours, but -"
"Put it on," Lan Wangji said, interrupting him. He lifted his arm, holding it out.
Wei Wuxian looked at it for a moment, then gave a shaky nod and began winding the ribbon around Lan Wangji's wrist, following the same pattern as the white ribbon that adorned his own wrist.
The bright red against Lan Wangji's pale skin reminded Wei Wuxian of all the tales he'd heard about the red thread of destiny. Their paths were tied together now, just as their bodies and cores were.
When he finished tying off the knot, Lan Wangji laid his hand on top of Wei Wuxian's before he could release the ribbon. The air stilled between them as they stood together in the quiet room, naked except for the ribbons they wore on their wrists.
Lan Wangji twined their fingers together, drawing Wei Wuxian in and kissing him slowly. Their mouths moved against each other languidly, gradually deepening. Lan Wangji's hand slid down Wei Wuxian's lower back, then further down, gripping the curve of his backside.
Wei Wuxian' smiled into the kiss. "Do you like my ass, Lan Zhan?"
"Mm," Lan Wangji agreed, pressing their bodies close enough together that Wei Wuxian was able to feel just exactly how much Lan Wangji did, in fact, like his ass. "I will show Wei Ying later how much. We should dress now."
Wei Wuxian allowed Lan Wangji to step back, even if part of it was to selfishly be able to see how beautiful his husband looked, naked and fully aroused. Wei Wuxian felt a dark thrill that this sight was now his. He could look upon his husband's body whenever he wanted, just as Lan Wangji could look upon him.
Lan Wangji reached into a pouch that was resting on the table and pulled out a set of dark green silk robes, and a red silk under-robe. Wei Wuxian felt a flash of guilt that he had nothing to give Lan Wangji in return.
"Lan Zhan. You didn't need to buy these. They're too nice for someone like me."
Lan Wangji placed the robes in Wei Wuxian's hands.
"Will Wei Ying wear the robes I bought him?" Lan Wangji asked, and something in his tone signaled to Wei Wuxian that there was more at issue than just replacing the robes they had just ruined.
Wei Wuxian looked down at the beautiful robes Lan Wangji handed him. He was suddenly reminded of other robes Lan Wangji had purchased for him. After the battle with the Xiangliu , and again, after the Burial Mounds. At the time, he hadn't thought much about it. Believing that Lan Wangji barely tolerated him, the gift of the robes seemed more an act of kindness or charity. But now that he knew better, knew that Lan Wangji had liked him for a long time, the gift of the robes might have meant something else.
"Lan Zhan. When you gave me those robes, after the Xiangliu ….," Wei Wuxian paused to look at Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji was looking carefully at a spot over Wei Wuxian's right shoulder, his ears pinkening.
"Lan Zhan, were those robes a courting gift ?"
Lan Wangji did not turn to meet his gaze.
"Oh, my god. I am such a fucking idiot. Lan Zhan . I didn't know. I thought you were just -," Wei Wuxian cut himself off. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter what I thought."
"Wei Ying was not ready to be courted at the time. And I was not… skilled."
"No! Lan Zhan, no. Baobei , I would have accepted your robes so fucking hard if I'd known what they meant. I just never thought you would be interested in me, that way. I will only wear robes Lan Zhan gives me from now on."
"Mm," Lan Wangji replied, sounding deeply pleased at the idea. "Wei Ying does not need Nie Huaisang's robes."
Wei Wuxian smiled, drawing Lan Wangji down into another kiss. "No. I will wear the beautiful robes my husband gave me. Help me put them on."
Lan Wangji was incredibly pleased to do so.
They made their way through the halls of the Nie keep. Wei Wuxian realized they were heading to the ancestral hall as they walked past the wing where the Lan delegation was staying. He slowed, tugging on Lan Wangji's sleeve.
"We should go see Lan Qiren. I know it's not the same as having your parents' tablets here, but he's at least one of your elders."
Lan Wangji looked at him for a moment, then inclined his head, turning down the corridor that Wei Wuxian had indicated. They reached the door to Lan Qiren's room, and Lan Wangji entered first. There was a Nie physician in attendance, preparing medicine near the brazier, but none of the Lan elders, just as Nie Huaisang had promised.
Guilt flared in Wei Wuixan as he saw the pallor of the old man sleeping on the bed.
"Not Wei Ying's fault," Lan Wangji said as he approached his uncle.
He knelt down by his bedside, placing his fingers at his uncle's wrist to check his qi.
"Still disrupted," Lan Wangji said, looking over at the medical cultivator.
She nodded. "That's why we're keeping him sedated. It's almost time for his next dose of the sedative, but I can give you a few moments of privacy with him, if you'd like."
Lan Wangji nodded, and the woman left. Wei Wuxian knelt beside him on the floor.
He bowed low to Lan Qiren. "This one is sorry for your distress, and thanks you for lifting the banishment."
Lan Qiren's fingers twitched. Wei Wuxian looked over to Lan Wangji, who seemed equally surprised.
Lan Qiren's eyes opened, and he looked at Wei Wuxian. His gaze was unsettled, not entirely focused, so different from the stern teacher Wei Wuxian was used to.
"Do not apologize." He seemed to want to say something more, but was unable to. He looked at Lan Wangji, his eyes widening as he noticed the lack of forehead ribbon.
Wei Wuxian wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do or not, but he lifted his wrist, allowing the man to see where it was bound. Lan Qiren relaxed back, his eyes drifting closed.
"Good," was all he said before he was once again asleep.
Lan Wangji drew a slow breath, then bowed deeply to his uncle. Wei Wuxian bowed beside him. There didn't need to be more words to make a clear blessing when it was offered.
They went next to the Nie ancestral hall. Wei Wuxian was already feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the day, and needed to take a steadying breath before opening the door. There were rows of tablets lined along shelves. Some had incense burning, others small offerings beside them. It took them a moment to find the tablets that bore the names of Wei Wuxian's parents. Someone had already lit incense for them, and Wei Wuxian promised himself he would bring proper offerings for them as soon as possible.
He knelt in front of their tablets, Lan Wangji kneeling beside him.
"Ma. Baba," Wei Wuxian said, bowing low, not having had the chance to speak to his parents tablets before, and not remembering how he had addressed them in life. The mere mention of his mother's existence had been a guaranteed way to enrage Madam Yu. Having a tablet had been unthinkable. Still, it didn't excuse his lapse as their son.
"This one is sorry he has not been able to make proper offerings to you. I promise to be more filial."
Lan Wangji laid a hand on Wei Wuxian's arm, steadying him.
"I want you to meet my husband. Lan Zhan, courtesy name Wangji, the Second Jade of Lan, Hanguang-Jun. He is amazing. He is so good, Ma. I wish you could have met him. We have a son, A-Yuan. He is… you would love him so much. You would love both of them."
Wei Wuxian drew a wet, shivering breath, unable to say more.
Lan Wangji bowed deeply beside him.
"This one is grateful to you for your son, and promises to look after him and care for him."
There was so much more that Wei Wuxian wanted to say to them, so much more he wanted to tell them, but his throat was too closed to allow any of the words to come out. He bowed again, touching his head once again to the floor. He had a place now where he could come and speak with them. It didn't all have to be said right then.
Lan Wangji led him to the courtyard behind the kitchens, where A-Yuan was playing with his friend. The evening air had set in, a cool breeze blowing against their skin. Wei Wuxian felt himself settle at the sight of his son, laughing brightly as he and the other child ran around with sticks in some sort of complicated game.
Lan Wangji's presence was solid and calm beside him.
Voices from the kitchens drifted out into the courtyard. The servants were being sent to prepare the rooms for dinner as the food was almost finished. If Nie Huaisang had managed to set up a private dinner for them with Lan Xichen and the Jiang siblings, they would have the meal to announce their marriage.
Wei Wuxian wondered what their reaction would be. Surprise, possibly, at the fact that the very traditional Lan Wangji had decided to move so quickly. But they all seemed supportive of the wedding overall, so he was not expecting any argument. They would all three be in different sects now, with Jiang Yanli marrying into the Jin, him joining the Nie. Wei Wuxian allowed himself a moment of wistfulness that the two he had grown up with as siblings had not been involved in the ceremony, and wondered if Lan Wangji felt the same about his own brother's absence.
He wouldn't have traded it for months of waiting, and Wei Wuxian had long ago stopped yearning for things to be perfect. His marriage to Lan Wangji had been more than anything he could ever hoped for. Separate from all the politics and Madam Yu's and Lan elders with their disapproval.
They called A-Yuan over, and set out to find the room that Nie Huaisang had allowed for them to use as a family dinner before Lan Xichen returned to his sect.
Lan Xichen and the Jiang siblings were already seated when they arrived, having been somewhat delayed by taking A-Yuan to wash up before dinner. The tables were set with tea cups at each seat, and a beautiful teapot was in the center of the table. There were a few bowls of snacks set out. Some dried red dates, whole lotus seeds, and dried whole longan fruit. Wei Wuxian idly wondered how they got them this far north.
A-Yuan raced forward, excited to see what foods were already laid out. Jiang Yanli's expression was somewhat strange as she told him about them. Lan Xichen looked up as they entered, his ever-present smile freezing on his face as he saw Lan Wangji without his headband. Lan Wangji reached down, sliding his hand into Wei Wuxian's where his ribbon was bound. Lan Xichen clocked the movement, looking back up to Lan Wangji for confirmation.
Before either of them could speak, a servant moved forward to pour the tea, but a movement from Lan Wangji stopped him.
Lan Wangji picked up the teapot, and turned to where Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng were seated.
He walked over to them, and knelt beside the table.
Wei Wuxian felt his entire being freeze.
"Wangji?" Lan Xichen asked.
Wei Wuxian was not sure what expression was on Lan Xichen's face, because he could not take his eyes from Lan Wangji
With perfect elegance, Lan Wangji poured tea into Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli's cups as they both stared first at him, then at Wei Wuxian.
"Please accept my tea," Lan Wangji said.
Holy shit. This was happening. And Lan Wangji was taking the role as the bride. What the actual fuck?
As expected Jiang Yanli recovered first, taking the cup and drinking from it. She set her cup carefully down, and smiled at Lan Wangji.
"I am so happy for you both."
Jiang Cheng was gaping, and Jiang Yanli turned to give him a sharp glance.
He picked up his cup, and drank from it.
"Yeah. I guess. But you're having a ceremony later. Neither of you is even wearing red! What the fuck?! No brother of mine is going to get away with being married on the cheap."
It wasn't really a full tea ceremony. Not really. Maybe they would have a proper one later. But it was enough. Wei Wuxian was grinning but his hands were also shaking as he walked over and knelt next to where Lan Xichen was seated.
His movements might not have been as beautifully smooth as Lan Wangji's, but he poured the tea and was able to properly hand it to Zewu-Jun without spilling it.
"Zewu-Jun. Please accept my tea."
Lan Xichen looked at the cup for a moment, then took it, carefully drinking from it before setting the cup back down.
"It seems as though we are past such formalities. You should call me Xichen-ge. I am happy for you both."
Lan Wangji had risen and walked over to kneel beside Wei Wuxian. He bowed low to his brother.
"Brother. This one thanks you for your blessing."
"Wangji," Lan Xichen's voice wavered, and the man had to visibly gather himself. "I am sorry that I could not give you a proper ceremony. It will happen. I will work on the elders. Uncle will as well. But no matter what you have my blessing. Both of you do."
The Twin Jades of Lan held each other's gaze, communicating silently for a moment. Then Lan Wangji gave a small smile. "Thank you, Brother."
"Do I get tea, too?" Wen Yuan asked, causing everyone in the room to laugh.
"I will pour you some, you gremlin," Wei Wuxian said, taking a cup and pouring a small amount for the child, who sipped it happily.
"I accept your tea, Baba!"
The doors opened, and servants began bringing in food. The meal was not set up as a wedding banquet. There was no red in the decorations, and the food was standard fare. Somehow, Nie Huaisang and Meng Yao had managed to walk the line of letting their siblings feel included in the hand fasting, but not presuming to take the place of a full wedding ceremony.
Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen were both leaving in the morning to return to their own sects. The priority for both had to be rebuilding their sects, and securing the peace. There would need to be a formal ceremony, eventually, for political reasons if nothing else.
But for now, they were married, and had the blessings of their families. Everything else could wait.
In the end, it was perfect after all.