#listen something about wei ying as the yiling laozu >>>

[wangxianficrecs]

They Say by ChilianXianzi

They Say

by ChilianXianzi

T, 3k, Wangxian

Summary: "If anyone were to finish off the Yiling Patriarch once and for all, of course it would be Hanguang-Jun!" Lan Wangji's step stutters, halts. Perhaps on any other day, he would have ignored the stray jibe, when Wei Ying's presence is not so keenly missed after weeks of separation. On any other day, when it's not so close to the anniversary of Wei Ying's death, perhaps Lan Wangji would simply walk away. Brush off the outlandish hearsay like water off a duck's feather coat. But not today. Kay's comments: OK. So. Rumours and how they can lead to destruction are a core theme of MDZS, however, I never really thought about how rumours and their continued existence can be almost traumatic for certain characters? So this story really gave me something to think about, with Chief Cultivator Lan Wangji really suffering due to people still whispering about how he will conquer the Yiling Laozu. At the end of the days, Wangxian have each other, but even they cannot ignore the rest of the world completely. Great story, absolutely loved it! Excerpt: There were all manner or rumors as Lan Wangji weaved through the jianghu and the land, of the Yiling Patriarch's evil deeds, of his betrayal to his Sect, of the curse he left on the world upon his much-deserved death. Already, the memory of Wei Ying's voice was blurred in his mind, the curve of his smile smudged with time and Lan Wangji's own pain. He wanted to lash out, wanted to scream at the people who handled Wei Ying's name so callously, so cruelly, staining the last of his memories with careless hate. To be free from worldly matters. Perhaps it had been a prayer, his mother's fervent hope for her son's life to not be dictated so by the words and made-up stories of others. But in his avoidance of worldly opinions and the judgement of others, Lan Wangji thought that perhaps he had lived no life at all. Had circled neatly around the things that would have made him himself, until Wei Ying had challenged all of his caution and distance. And so Lan Wangji endured. Broke more of the rules etched in his heart by his Sect as he tried to do what he could for the people the Cultivation world ignored and neglected. He spoke his mind, showed his distaste of the corruption and greed of the Sects, stopped going to the lavish conferences his fellow Cultivators were so fond of. He tried to listen more to ones who were often unheard, to understand more why people did the things they did. Raised A-Yuan with the freedom and abundance of visible love he was denied in his own childhood.

pov lan wangji, post-canon, canon modao zu shi & the untamed combination, chief cultivator lan wangji, established relationship, married lan wangji/wei wuxian, rumours, implied/referenced character death, grief/mourning, fluff and angst, good parent lan wangji, lan family feels

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[robinuntamed]

Irrefutable

“You mean, would I have done it for you?” Lan Zhan asked with this hurt look in his eyes, and Wei Wuxian wished to have swallowed his tongue whole.

“No! No, no, nothing like that. That’s just stupid. All this hypothetical business is rubbish anyway, I know that—”

Even worse, this soft thing his face should not physically be able to do without shifting a single cun. “Wei Ying. I would give you my core.”

Ah, well. Hmm. No, there was no chance to process that. The worst part about life two was maybe how un-flustereably sweet Lan Zhan turned out to be: Wei Wuxian suspected he may have always been sweet, under the solid layer of embarrassment. Now there wasn’t even that.

“Shameless,” he managed, croakily.

Lan Zhan just looked at him. He didn’t move his lips, but he was smiling. “My life is Wei Ying’s,” he declared simply. “My body. My—” stopped only when Wei Wuxian’s hand was on his vexingly-gorgeous mouth.

“All right! All right. It was a stupid question and I’m a stupid man, we get it. Please, Lan Zhan, I can’t bear any more.”

“You will bear it,” the fiend said, after pressing an unfair tiny kiss to his palm.

“Mercy,” Wei Wuxian whined. His chest was too tight for all of this. For all this Lan Zhan, soft and lovely in the evening light, every line of him in blinding, overwhelming harmony. The room was beautiful, the best Jinlintai had to offer, and still seemed a crude backdrop; Lan Zhan was grace itself.

“Mm,” came his concession, or perhaps his refusal, since he pressed another kiss to the hand he would not release, then another.

“Lan Zhan. Lan—Zhan! Lan Zhan, stop, stop it, unless you’d like a puddle of melted Wei Wuxian and it’s going to ruin your nice robes and probably get sticky in your hair and Lan Zhan are you even listening?”

He wasn’t, clearly, although he did this thing with his shoulders that signified laughter, and Wei Wuxian did melt, just, his whole chest gone writhing and slippery and helpless, he was so entirely helpless against this. The only enemy the fearsome Yiling Laozu couldn’t match. And in fact, the battle was getting much fiercer, and unimaginably dirty:

“Lan Zhan, that tickles! Stop, stop, you magnificent arsehole, ah, ha, that, stop, stop, I beg you!”

Stopped only to give him this puzzled look. Something in his tone must have registered. “Did I upset Wei Ying?”

“No,” helpless, rubbing his useless eyes. How to explain this ever-raging storm in his blood of I want to make the whole world yours, and that would still not be enough? “No, Lan Zhan, you're just… perfect.”

He tilted his head the tiniest of angles, suddenly transforming into something so serious it scratched inside Wei Wuxian’s throat. “Not perfect,” Lan Zhan said, as if to make a point. He was mad.

“Huh?” nose scrunching when—he didn’t frown, but—“Lan Zhan. Come here.” Taking his face in two hands, his beautiful, impossible face, which still didn’t move and now was inconsolably, irreparably sad? What the actual hell? Wei Wuxian did that sometimes, said the wrong thing and caused this mini-avalanche, this earthquake which threatened everything good. But he wasn’t even talking about himself this time. What did he say to make Lan Zhan sad?

How dare he make the world’s most perfect man—ah.

Idiot, idiot, idiot. Wei Wuxian could strangle himself if his hands weren’t holding something much more precious. Pressing tighter: “Silly creature. Lan Zhan, let me promise you, the standards for perfection are vastly different between yours and the rest of the known world, but neither matter. You don’t need to be perfect.”

“I know.”

Yeah, he would, wouldn't he. “You may know it here,” Wei Wuxian said, as gently as he could, and kissed right above the bridge of his nose. “I think you might forget it elsewhere. Lan Zhan, you’re everything I could ever want. No, you’re far more than that.”

Slow, cautious blinking: fuck, Wei Wuxian really put his foot in his mouth this time. Lan Zhan looked afraid. Had he not—stupid, stupid Wei Wuxian, has he not been clear enough? Did he not do his best to reassure this miracle of a man that… he should be spending every second of every minute of every hour of every day solely on—

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said. His voice was so deep and so familiar that it settled him, even when it shouldn’t have.

“Lan Zhan,” heartbroken, “you know that I…”

He placed his hands over Wei Wuxian’s. “I know.”

“No, listen. This is important. You know that I—”

“Wei Ying,” softly, “I know.”

“Will you let me speak, you gorgeous arse. Listen. You’re the only reason I—”

“Wei Ying.”

Shaking him: “Stop interrupting and listen. You’re all that matters to me. I would work every day for the rest of my life to be worthy of you and I know I would never be; I would spend every moment on providing you every shred of happiness; I would go to the ends of the earth with a smile.”

Lan Zhan looked at him for the longest moment, then said, “Mm.”

“Mm? That’s all you have to say for yourself? Silly thing, did you listen? Do you get it now? Do you understand how breathtaking and crucial and—”

“I understand,” the bastard cut him off, the edge of his nose brushing Wei Wuxian’s. “My answer remains the same.”

“Your answer?”

The tiniest quirk of his lips, managing to look exasperated and disastrously fond: “Mm.”

“What answer? What are you even on about? Did I ask you a question? Honestly, sometimes you old men do drone on and on when something so simple can be said instead, and…” Wei Wuxian realised he was panicking, had no idea why.

“You asked,” Lan Zhan said.

“Huh?”

He made this face, half fiendish and half bashful, all devastating, and pulled away the tiniest bit until his one blurry eye became definite two. He was the dearest thing in the whole world, so much was true: he was beautiful, and perfect only in the ways that mattered, in the shape of his face under Wei Wuxian’s palms and the burst of never-ending affection that would ruin Wei Wuxian’s life. Running a helpless finger over full, red lips, rejoicing in the trembliness of it, of this joy. Lan Zhan truly was a miracle, and he was looking right at him so, so seriously.

“I would give Wei Ying my core.”

Wei Wuxian could only shut him up with a kiss.

[ghcstchild-a]

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head? + What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them? + If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS.

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

Lan Qiren, whenever he's entertaining a completely new idea, figuring out if it could work and how. Lan Wangji, when self-doubt overpowers him and makes him question the path he's chosen. Jiang Cheng, when he's in a good mood or when someone's being annoyingly stupid, it's almost an instinct to search for him somehow, somewhere. A phantom urge to share a judgemental glance, or just argue about something trivial for the sake of it, polishing it off with a light punch. It makes things easier for a moment, holding on to this ghostly reminder of the past, but coming back to reality always tastes bitter.

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Most people would notice the unnatural, lifeless pallor of his skin, something barely human, something otherworldly. The terrible Yiling Laozu merging with his army of the undead, a truly fearsome concept for most – they wouldn't want to look any further. Because if they did, they would see what he sees. Broken posture, the darkness around his eyes and much more of it behind them. He sees the toll it's taking on him, the resentful energy, the void where his golden core once used to be, the hollowness of a smile he reassures himself and others with, but the most striking ( and the most prominent ) are the first signs of ageing – much faster than he should and so much sooner than his peers. How thin he is, how obviously exhausted. If he keeps his gaze on the reflection for too long ( he never does, it's not a pleasant sight ), he'll see every crack in that mask he wears.

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

Wei Ying only has one fear, and it's an old instinct to call for his shijie, wherever he may be, no matter how far away they are. She always chased the dogs away when he was a child, she was the one who brought him a warm bowl of soup and a warmer smile. The person he loves more than anything in the world is her, and even the bare memory of her feels like a strong wall he can find balance against. He thinks about her a lot in the burial mounds, whenever things go wrong and the road ahead looks darker than usual, when it's that kind of fear, it's still her.

It takes him too long to come to peace with reality in the next life, still grasping for those memories like a child who needs to find something sturdy enough to hold on to. And after a while, he finds what he needs in Lan Wangji. And suddenly, without even acknowledging it, it's him Wei Ying calls for when he sees a dog. It's his forehead ribbon he holds on to in his sleep, tormented by nightmares. He holds his hand or listens to his heartbeat to lose himself to the serenity of peace.

( and on some days it almost makes him cry when his husband does the little things shijie used to do to chase his fears away ).

[saiaisaiko]

Devotion of Love Chapter 13

Have chapter 13 as an advent treat for the first advent. It's the first day of the discussion conference from Lan Wangjis' perspective. And Nie Huaisang has arrived. Alongside his living brother! Anyway under the cut is an excerpt of the chapter.

„I heard you have accepted a servant at last, Lan-er-gege?“, a soft voice with a melodic thrill spoke right next to him. He hadn’t realized that the socializing phase of the evening left the seats beside him free and now it had been taken by Nie Huaisang. He knew speaking with him was a test of resolve and a trial in not breaking any rules just by proximity. He also knew that Wei Ying had been fast friends with the cultivator and would be happy for Lan Wangji to find the same friendship for himself.

„Mn“, he answered, hoping that the other man wasn’t too insulted by his non-verbal reaction.

„It's this one, right? What was his name?“, he asked, feigning to have forgotten. With a heavy sight, the antics will always be getting on his nerves, he turned his head. Nie Huaisang almost lay against him, head tilted up to him, face flirtatiously hidden behind a fan. He was just shy of touching Lan Wangji, but took great care to be always just shy of touching, never overly bothering even if he broke every other aspect of personal space. And Lan Wangji suddenly felt known and understood on a level he only ever felt with Wei Ying and Lan Xichen. Was this a good-with-people thing or a charisma thing? He didn’t know and he would have to ask about that, but he didn’t know who to ask. Probably Wei Ying. Wei Ying was his safest choice and the choice he would be the least embarrassed about.

„Mn, Mimi Cangshen“, he answered at last, gaining a pleased and shown smile. He was let behind the barrier of the fan and could see the clear and calculating look. It felt suddenly very important that he noticed this.

„I heard that Xian-gege’s body was never found. No summoning technique seems to work either. Tragic to see someone vanish into nothingness like this, right? Anyway...“, Nie Huaisang went on, not even waiting for the possibility of an answer, proofing again that Lan Wangji was seen and given the courtesy to uphold politeness without having to break any sect rules. Gossiping was not allowed, but nobody could fault a Lan for being spoken to. Only that listening to rumors could be punished, but nobody could prove that Lan Wangji had actually listened to anyone speaking to him. „Have you heard about the passing of Jin Guanshan? It's said, and not rebuffed by the Jin Sect, that he died in a brothel that caught fire. Rumor has it that it had to be the raging ghost of the Yiling Laozu. Of course that can’t be true, he wouldn’t have endangered the workers there with a fire, but it is truly fascinating what people come up with, you know?“

„Mn“, Lan Wangji agreed. He had heard about the passing of the former Jin Sect, hence the reason this Discussion Conference was so big and important for Xichen. It also doubled as a debut for Jin Guanyao, the now officially announced sect leader of the Jin Sect. It made the need to show such strength and understanding of the people all the more relevant as it also reflected on the Jin Sect. Reflecting on that he noticed something peculiar. Where the Jin Sect held the most luxurious banquets in general, they also tended to be rather suddenly over for most of the attendees as they tended to have too much alcohol. Here the alcohol was as splendidly served, but it didn’t catch on. Subtlety pulsing he got the answer and two surprises. An array was drawn on the ceiling to erase any poison ingested including the alcohol inside anybody in the room, explaining the lack of drunks.

The first surprise was an unpleasant one, his core reacted to the core in Jiang Wanyin letting him look in his direction with furrowed brows. Lan Wangji had known this was a distinct possibility, but he had hoped Wei Ying had lied about that. He felt pain for his love to have dealt with so much. The second surprise was the strength of the subtle pulsing core in Nie Huaisang. Lang Wangji always heard his brothers' amusement about the second young master of the Nie sect and his entertaining quarrels about Nie Huaisangs' laziness and his unwillingness to train with the saber. He himself had not seen the young master train with anything at all during his many guest lectures in the Cloud Recesses. Where does the strength of the core come from?

[yilinglaozu]

“I used to think of you as my soulmate.” “I still am.”

[rabbitcrimes]

MDZS Rarepair Fic Rec: Make Me An Offer I Can't Refuse

less common or rare pairings, written so well that they won me over!

🌟 JIANG CHENG/NIE HUAISANG Four Days in Lanling by halotolerant - 21k Summary: Nie Huaisang looks at him. ‘You are confusing me, Clan Leader Jiang, perhaps I misunderstand, but…’

‘You didn’t misunderstand. You don’t misunderstand. You understand all of it.’ For six months Jiang Cheng has been mulling this over, and now with Nie Huaisang in front of him he can’t figure out if he most wants to knock him down or kneel at his feet. What he does is try and breathe. Clench his hands at his sides. ‘And now I am going to ask you to do something for me. You have to do something for me. You have to help Jin Ling.’ Notes: Went into this FULLY skeptical and was completely won over - it understands that sangcheng works only when it is wretched. Delicious!

🌟 LAN WANGJI/XIAO XINGCHEN/SONG LAN One Rogue Spark in My Direction by hansbekhart 5k Summary: He’d thought, in Yueyang, that they’d seen something in each other, something familiar. That maybe they’d recognized something in him. But it’s been many years, and many things have happened since, and he’s guessed wrongly at other people’s hearts before. Lan Wangji looks back down at the table, at his steaming, bitter tea. He’ll beg if he has to. Notes: My summary for this reads "Maybe some of the most successful porn + emotions I’ve ever read / if I ever shut up about this assume I'm dead"

🌟 LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN/JIANG CHENG Out of Nothing by Pip - 27k Summary: You and me, Wei Ying had said. Jiang Cheng is going to take him at his word.

Command says that the first neural link is the one that stands out the most, the one that everyone has to be the most careful of, because a navigator’s thoughts can get tangled up with their pilot’s and become inextricably linked. Entangled. Notes: bitch oh my FUCKING god when is Tor going to publish this like I'm so incredibly serious this is one of the best things I read last year you know this post ??? that is a summary of this fic actually (JC & WWX are childhood sweethearts in this, not related) 🌟 LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN/NIE MINGJUE good friends by plonk - 11k Summary: “I could invite her over for when the game’s done,” Nie Mingjue offers.

 Lan Zhan hums, considering it.

 They do that sometimes. Take omegas down together. Notes: listen to me LISTEN TO ME ok i HEAR the COMPLAINTS I HEAR THEM but LISTEN I am telling you its VERY GOOD i made my best friend read this on the way back home from a funeral that's how good it is. i would never joke about this

XUE YANG/WEI WUXIAN Blood Array by giraffeter - 16k Summary: “I told you already that there’s not enough of Xiao Xingchen’s spiritual cognition left to bring him back,” he tells Xue Yang flatly. “What exactly are you hoping I’ll be able to accomplish?”

“You’re the Yiling Laozu,” Xue Yang replies, his eyes wide and wild. “Death is no obstacle for you. I’ve tried to learn everything I could from your writings, but it’s not enough. Somewhere in here, there’s something I missed. There has to be. You can fix it. You can fix him.”

~

Xue Yang succeeds in abducting Wei Wuxian in Yi City and sets him to the seemingly-impossible task of trying to resurrect Xiao Xingchen. As the two of them work, fight, and sleep side by side, Wei Wuxian can no longer deny the similarities — or the attraction — between them. Notes: the thing about this one is that it is, on some level, soooooooo canon, you know?

LAN WANGJI/SU SHE Disrupt, Corrupt, and Interrupt Me by hansbekhart - 3k Summary: Su She was warned about Lan Wangji, the way that warnings like this are often shared: whispered humid in the dark, with barely stifled laughter. Did you hear? Lan Wangji chooses boys as if he’s hunting. Once a boy is in his sights, he’s like a rabbit caught in a snare. You won’t be able to escape. He’ll visit unspeakable desires on your body and then abandon you for his next prey. Notes: everyone hates when I fucking rec this one and I will nOT stop reccing it because it understands just ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING like is there anything better than having a really horrible sexy time. NO.

LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN/JIANG CHENG the lantern by the door by Lirelyn - 64k Summary: Jin Ling’s needs were constant and repetitive; they ran like a lifeline through Jiang Cheng’s days. He didn’t need to see past the next feeding, the next changing. He didn’t need to persuade himself to get out of bed in the morning; sooner or later Lingling would cry, and he would find he could move after all. In the middle of the night, when neither of them could sleep, he paced up and down the room, holding Lingling to his chest, whispering, “Jiujiu’s here. I won’t leave you alone. I promise.” --- Jiang Cheng knew Lan Zhan had been seeing way more of Wei Ying than he had, but it still burned: Lan Zhan’s easy familiarity with Wei Ying’s household, with his thoughts. I’m the one that grew up with him. He was mine first. Notes: there's literally no way to be normal about this fic like I'm so incredibly serious about this look me in the eye it is the MOST character study ANYONE has EVER done (JC & WWX are not related in this one, although it does explore what the label 'brother' means to them so steer clear if that's a squick for you!) NIE MINGJUE/JIANG CHENG The Beat in your Chest by Pip - 5k Summary: Thursdays are for boxing. Thursdays are for Nie Mingjue. He pretends, sometimes, that they’re peers, even though they’re in different weight classes and always will be. He likes spitting and snarling at Nie Mingjue just to see what he’ll do, to push and shove at the boundaries. Nie Mingjue, it feels like sometimes, has self control the way that ponds have ice in the late fall- delicately and temporarily and easily disturbed.  Summary: it's quick and dirty who am I to argue with that kind of thing NIE MINGJUE/WEI WUXIAN Crowned in Glory (fear no more) by Pip - 19k Summary: It doesn't take an especially strategic mind to recognize that a poorly-maintained weapon is no weapon at all. Nie Mingjue can fix that. Notes: this is just GREAT fun!! I love sunshot era fics and this makes a really compelling case LAN WANGJI & WEN QING (not a relationship) sixteen stitches by curiositykilled 12k Summary: There is some irony, Wen Qing realizes, in being left to live with Lan Wangji alone in a small house with the last living member of her clan. Notes: this is a WIP and not a 'ship' per se bc they're not fucking nor dating in this but I LOVED how OP explores these two characters I love so much, maybe if we all comment how much we love it OP will update 😈

[sheadre]

Lady Of Darkness (Wei Wuxian x Reader) mini-series Part One

Summary: Wei Wuxian spots a woman singing with an alluring voice while walking down the street.

Warnings: None

Word count: 1079

Darkness enveloped the city of Yiling. The cold breeze made Wei Wuxian shiver as he sat by the open window in the small inn. This was one of the few nights he decided to spend away from Luanzang Hill. Sometimes he liked to spend his time alone, not that he disliked the company but before a new invention, he needed some space to think.

He was almost done with something but couldn’t figure out how to finish it so he decided to come and drink on his own. As he gazed out the window, admiring the tranquility of the night, an alluring voice hit his ears. It was not only warm and silky, but was incomparable to any other voice he ever heard before. He listened to a few performances before in inns but this was so different from them that he couldn’t decide if he just imagined it or not. Soon, he spotted a woman dressed in black slowly walking across the street.

Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened.

This woman was the one singing. He watched on with curiosity, without making a move. Then the woman stopped right below his window and looked up from under her bamboo hat. The Yiling Patriarch couldn’t help but feel lucky to have met such a beauty.

The woman was a young lady, not much younger than himself. Her long black hair flowed with the cold breeze, her plush lips rosy, her face as white as the full moon. Deep brown eyes looked back at him. With a slight smile, she spoke up:

“It is not too polite, staring at others, gongzi.” she said softly. Even her normal voice sounded so alluring.

“Who wouldn’t stare in wonder hearing your voice, guniang?” he grinned back at her. Her light chuckle reverberated on the empty street.

“Would you like to hear a few songs?” she asked.

“You don’t look like the local folk here. What are you doing in Yiling?”

Wei Ying’s question was straightforward but was not impolite and it didn’t make her upset in any way.

“Indeed, gongzi.” Then she continued: “I came to check out for myself this Yiling Laozu everyone is talking about. People are shaking in fear at his name.”

“In the middle of the night, I don’t think he would be very happy being bothered.”

“Ah, and how would you know that exactly gongzi?” she still maintained that playful, light smile. These two could easily play cat and mouse for an eternity it seemed. It was both entertaining and fascinating.

“I can only offer you some wine for a song, guniang. How about it?” Wei Wuxian winked at her, making her laugh this time. With a bow, she went inside the inn. He knew she was onto him but she didn’t seem like another one of those foolish people who wanted to kill him. She looked mysterious and he liked mysteries.

A soft knock came from the door then. He stood up and went to open it. Pulling away the sliding doors, Wei Wuxian almost forgot how to breathe. This guniang was a thousand times more beautiful up close than from the distance earlier. Her pale face was clean, chin and nose thin, plush lips a vibrant rosy red. Her almond shaped eyes looked like they were drawn by a painter with the most talent in the world.

Stepping aside, he let her enter the room. Fortunately, no one saw them as most people were already asleep.

Wei Wuxian sat down by the low table and poured some wine in two cups. Placing one in front of her, then lifting the other to his lips.

“Do you have a preference in songs?” she asked quietly.

“Not really, but I am certain anything that you decide to sing is gonna be excellent.”

She chuckled and then told him to lie down. Kneeling on a soft pillow, she started singing. Wei Wuxian watched and watched, listened and listened, never getting tired of her voice. She looked foreign with how beautiful she was, like a legend that decided to grace the mortals with appearing.

By the time she finished, the Yiling Patriarch was already asleep.

The next morning, Wei Wuxian groggily found out that this guniang had left already. Checking everything he owned two times, he confirmed that he was not missing anything. Was she really just singing a song to him? He should check himself once he reaches Burial Mounds.

The walk was not long as he was sober now and even the hangover he could’ve had didn’t seem to come. However, once he entered the Demon-Slaughtering Cave, his feet got stuck, making him fall flat on his face. Though he quickly regained his composure and lifted himself to see that he didn’t imagine it.

There, inside stood last night’s guniang, talking with Wen Qing amicably. The two seemed to know each other well. His (unlucky) entrance made both of them look at him.

“Wei gongzi, you came back at the right time.” Wen Qing spoke up, then motioned at the singing-guniang. “This is Wen Xuan, younger sister of Wen Chao.”

“Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, Wei gongzi.” she chuckled. “I was not sure it was you.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly. After all, she was the sister of that scumbag. She smiled sadly and bowed to him.

“To say thanks.” she spoke softly. “I tried to end my father’s tyrannical plans but was unsuccessful. I am glad someone succeeded in the end.”

“What?”

“Wei gongzi, Wen Xuan was trying to stop her father way back when we attended the Gusu Lan clan’s lessons. However, Wen Chao stopped her and injured her gravely. After that, I lost sight of her.” Wen Qing explained.

“No one knew about you, Wen guniang.” Wei Wuxian noted still glaring at her.

“Because my father tried to hide an illegitimate daughter from the public.” she replied. “After they got rid of me, I spent my time wandering the lands.”

“Ah, I see…”

“I came to see the Wen remnants. Will you grant me some time to spend with them?”

Her question was none intrusive and indicated that she won’t stick around for too long. Wei Ying was conflicted about that. He was not too trusting with any children of Wen Ruohan but she seemed nothing like her siblings and even Wen Qing seemed to trust her.

With a nod, he turned around and went to finish his invention.

To be continued…

[wangxianslillotus]

Au where Wei WuXian doesn't go to Nightless city after Wen Qing, Wen Ning and the remaining Wens. Instead he runs away with A-Yuan and the granny. They stay hidden for years in a humble house in between a forest and a river at the border of Qinghe Nie and LanLing, away from Yiling.

Wei Ying tries to stay away from the towns after hearing about the burial mounds being attacked, of course that there would be those who search for the stigean seal, "That Yiling laozu, he disappeared in the night! Who knows when he's going to appear again to cause more trouble!!" He hears, "He's preparing to take revenge, he hasn't learned from the last time!!" . But he doesn't want revenge, he just wants to raise A-Yuan. After that, he knows that he has to hide, and ends up avoiding all contact and interactions with the world, but he remains doing his research in demonic cultivation, enough to train and develope new things that they will need for protection, but never enough for it to attract any attention.

Granny passes away after taking care of her boys, and when they find themselves in the winter out of provisions such as food and others, Wei WuXian makes his trip to the market for the first time in almost seven years. He wears a disguise, but he can never be completely sure that they are safe. Of course, he takes his son along, because he can't leave him alone. He's never sure.

A-Yuan has come with granny before, he knows the people in town, and they pretty much adore him just as the people loved Wei WuXian at the old pier market. Wei WuXian watches him and lets him lead the little trip to town with a bright smile. They buy the necessary things for a couple of cold months, and go back home at night. But as they are leaving, they catch a glimpse of gold robes in one of the streets. Wei WuXian drags A-Yuan to a dark alley to hide, until the cultivators of LanLing pass by without noticing them. After that, they don't go to the town anymore for a while.

A-Yuan doesn't ask, he never does, he respects that his father has a very mysterious past that he wants to hide, to forget if possible, and that if something happens, he will have to run away with the stigean seal. He knows that, but being aware of the pain that crosses his father's eyes is hard. But he doesn't ask even when Wei WuXian starts to train him to be a cultivator, not just for fun anymore.

He developed a golden core very young, but never used it for anything more than some night hunts at the near forest and protection. Now, they are preparing just in case those golden robed people got closer, he knows that much.

He practices archery, calligraphy too ("A-Yuan, even if dad can't write like he draws, you should do it properly. Maybe I can't make it look good, but I know how it should look.") and his father lends him his sword from time to time, for him to learn how to transfer energy on the blade, how to fly, and how to retrieve it if he sent it flying for attack. Suibian accepts him, almost knowing that he's his owner's son. Wei WuXian teaches him everything he knows about cultivation, that is not little knowledge, on the contrary, Wei Yuan ends up learning so many things, even about different sects. His father teaches him about the Lan Sect and Jiang Sect more than any others, he hears about a big library where he used to copy 3000 rules from the Lan Sect, watched closely by the most gracious man that his father has ever seen. Wei Yuan learns that his father often thinks about this Lan man, when the moon rises fully in the night sky, drinking some alcohol if they can allow it.

He learns enough demonic cultivation too, enough to prevent accidents from happening, enough not to panic, and enough to suppress the stigean seal if needed. Of course, he can't do that alone, it's only to help his father. "Never use it, A-Yuan, you know how if feels now, so you can identify it, but never use it. You can think of better ways."

He learns about talismans, more than any other Sect may even know that exist, his father is proud of that. And he is too. His father knows so many things that A-Yuan is enchanted with everything he learns. He is a good boy.

......

When A-yuan is close to become 13, Wei WuXian goes back to the town and orders a sword for him, one similar to suibian in terms of speed and weight, but black. It was going to be ready in a month and a half, the shopkeeper said. And it was going to be expensive. But it was worth it, Wei Ying knew, anything for his little boy. Besides, winter didn't had many hunting opportunities, it was a good timing.

When the time passed, Wei WuXian took A-Yuan with him to the town. They sold some talismans during the day, bought food and some warmer clothes that would be useful since there was starting to snow already in the forest, and then, they stopped by the smithy. Wei WuXian gave his son an excited smile.

When A-Yuan received the sword, he was more than happy. He was jumping like he was five again, hugging his father like he would never let go, so happy that he cried a little. Wei WuXian laughed at him for that, but he was equally happy just by watching his son. He knew it was worth it.

On the following days, Wei WuXian trained him with his sword. He couldn't use Suibian properly since he couldn't transfer it any energy, and using resentful energy didn't work at all on the blade (he had tried, it didn't went well.) But he could use it as a normal sword, and he was good at it. Better than the good ones. They sparred until his father said it was good enough to go for a nighthunt in the following days.

Little did they know that they would split, running from a Yao that had really long claws, just as large as Suibian, and creept at fast speed. It was a dangerous one, climbing the trees and jumping at them from above. The beast followed A-Yuan at first, be could hear it growling right behind him. The boy ran away at his father's order, and the beast got distracted after a while thanks to his father's music. A-Yuan ran until stopping at the entrance of a cave, listening attentively to the dizi in the distance, just in case he heard another order from Wei WuXian.

The snow was freezing his feets, and he was already wet to the knee, some of his back too because he had rolled over avoiding the Yao's claws. The dizi went silent abruptly, but it wasn't always a bad thing. It probably meant his father had killed the beast using resentful energy. He waited for about ten minutes before deciding he would go back, but as he was about to go the way he came from, he heard steps behind.

Too close to avoid to be seen, too close to run away successfully. A-Yuan turned around, ready for a fight when he saw a boy his age, dressed in white, with a headband matching the could embroidery of his robes. A Lan. It was a Lan. They couldn't find his father.

Turns out, it was a friendly Lan, that gave him a look and then proceeded to explain that he was lost. "We were nighthunting, but I got lost following the tracks of a Yao." He had said. "Honestly, I fell into a pit when I was running away, and when I got out, it was gone. Have you seen it, perhaps?" But A-Yuan lied, said that he hadn't. That he was fighting a ghost. The ones that didn't let traces behind. At this, the Lan shivered, murmuring something about hating ghosts, and A-Yuan couldn't help it, he laughed hard. He was absolutely stressed from running, ten minutes more would probably help his limbs, he thought.

The Lan got flustered at his laugh, not used to such displays of emotions from others, but he ended up laughing too. They talked for an hour or so, until A-Yuan realized that his father must have been searching him like a madman. He apologized to the Lan boy, grabbed his sword, and run away in a hurry, leaving a very confused cultivator behind. When he arrived his home, it was almost sunrise already. Wei WuXian was waiting for him in front of the door. When he saw him appear, he run towards him and hugged him hard.

Again, A-Yuan didn't ask. He knew his father's pain without need of explanation. He hugged back, letting the bad feelings go at once. They slept side by side that night, like when A-Yuan was a toddler, holding all their memories together. Keeping them warm.

.......

A couple of months later, the spring came back, and A-Yuan was more than happy to help his father with the orchard. They played in the river too, hunted some pheasants and rabbits that started to reappear from their hibernation, and Wei WuXian allowed A-Yuan to go alone to the town. He knew it was a big thing, because his father thought of his petition for about a week before answering. He had to be careful, "there are really bad people out there, my radish." But if he could nighthunt, he could take some walks around the market and enjoy tasteful food once in a while, he thought.

In one of his expeditions to the town, he met that Lan boy again. "This one is called Lan JingYi, since you ran away last time I couldn't tell you that, but we spoke about good food, and you mentioned this inn." He said. And A-Yuan smiled. He didn't say his name, but it was enough that the owner of the inn saw him, invited them both to take a seat and eat, calling him "A-Yuan". He had to be aware from his last name.

Nonetheless, he shared with Lan JingYi a good meal, happy when his new friend complimented his good taste with food.

It was not the last time they met. Lan JingYi usually appeared at the town from time to time after sending him a letter to that inn, that the owner gave him when he arrived the town. He was happy to have a friend, so Wei WuXian allowed it. It was good that his son had a dependable friend. Even if it was dangerous, he thought that some meals and sporadic letters couldn't do any harm to anyone. As long as A-Yuan was happy, he would comply. He wanted his son to have everything.

Time passed by quickly, they knew. They sold more talismans at the market, nighthunted anything and everything that they could, shared stories about their days when they were apart, ate delicious foods at the inn sometimes, and trained. They trained a lot.

In was when they turned 15 that Lan JingYi gave A-Yuan an invitation to study at Cloud recesses.

And Wei WuXian had to decide new plans.

[drwcn]

《midnight sun》 — # 13

Summary of questions: does lan wangji believe jiang yan is wei wuxian and jiang cheng's daughter? does wei wuxian know lan wangji thinks jiang yan is jiang cheng's daughter? Answer: worse. wei wuxian thinks lan wangji knows jiang yan is their daughter. lan wangji doesn't know shit. LOL.

(i recommend listening to [x] for this snippet)

When she opened her eyes, it was Jingshi and a guqin's melancholic tune that greeted her. She had half-hoped (and half-feared) that she would be back at Lotus Pier again.

But back then, did you really believe in me?

Lan Wangji did not respond, and so they fell into a silence. Wei Wuxian rested there, propped up by pillows, staring into the darkened woods around Lan Wangji's home. She was still in Mo Xuanyu's clothes, but his macabre steel mask sat on the bed-side stand.

Wei Wuxian touched her own face gingerly. Thirteen years — a lifetime has gone by. There were secrets she had taken to her death, but this time around, she no longer wished to hide.

Earlier that day, she had not seen Yan'er amongst the Jiang disciples at Mt Dafan.

Weren't you the one who killed her yourself, Jiang-zongzhu?!

Lan Jingyi's words had reminded her of what death had obscured - the horrifying fact that she had left her only child in the custody of the brother who had willingly taken her life.

Heavens...

Suddenly, it no longer seemed important that she continued to keep this secret from Lan Wangji. She had to know that Yan'er was safe. At once.

"Lan Zhan, there's a person, a junior, I want to ask you about -"

"Jiang Yan."

Lan Wangji lifted his eyes from his guqin to meet hers from across the room. There was... hurt, disappointment, and something entirely too deep to comprehend inside those eyes that kept her company in her dreams during her years at the Burial Mount.

Wei Wuxian felt the heart she carried in her throat plunge to the pit of her stomach.

"You know."

It was not a question.

"Mn."

"How long have you known? Did Jiang Cheng -?"

"He did not tell me anything. He didn't need to. The first time I met her, I knew. The child bears a great likeness to you."

"I -" She clutched the blanket that covered her, fighting the urge to escape under it as one hand curled around her belly subconsciously. "I..."

Wei Wuxian! Stop, stop pushing, stop trying, you're dying damn it! Listen to me, you're dying! Wen Qing's lovely face floated into her mind, one of many souls who'd been let down by her arrogance and pride, a ghost of her guilt.

In the end, Wei Wuxian supposed she had let Lan Wangji down too. All those men who had wanted her for her power, for the Stygian Amulet, circling the newfound Lotus Pier like sharks in the water...she may not have lost her virtues to them, but perhaps she did lose sight of herself along the way. That day in the forest, at Phoenix Mountain, what a selfish impulse it had been to lay claims to the untouchable Hanguang-jun.

If she were fair to him, she would have drank the medicine Wen Qing offered her. Give him a clean break, release him, absolve him. The minute she had pulled Lan Wangji down onto the grassy meadow and wrapped him between her legs, she knew she'd be tainting him. Yet still, she had held on so tight and begged him for everything he had. When he gave himself to her, with fervor and faith, she had greedily consumed him: his first touch, his first kiss, his first release...his first child.

She had taken it all and gave nothing back. Now, when nothing could be changed or salvaged, she would not assume that he would ever forgive her. And if he did not wish to be burdened by the consequences of her actions and desires...well, she understood that too.

Wei Wuxian, please, forsake the baby, choose yourself. Wen Qing had clutched her hand and pleaded through her scared and desperate tears. Give me permission, give me permission to save you!

No, Qing-jiejie, I can - I can do it! Lan Zhan - Lan Zhan -

Lan Wangji is not here, Wei Wuxian! It's just you. Just you, do you hear?! Please, please don't -

Her heart was not broken. Heartbreak was a privilege of her last life.

"Is Yan'er well?"

Wei Wuxian was fully aware of her every debt and sin, but they were hers and hers alone. Jiang Yan should not be the one left to pay for a mother whom she had never known.

"Yes. She lives at Lotus Pier. Jiang Wanyin is very good to her. He raised her as his first disciple and her named her Jiang Yueqian. She is very bright, and a strong cultivator. He's very proud of her; as you would be too once you meet."

And you, Wei Wuxian wanted to ask. Are you proud of her too?

Externally, Wei Wuxian let out a breath of relief. "Jiang Cheng kept his word to me after all."

Lan Wangji's face seemed to fall at those words, though that could easily have been a trick of the light.

"Wei Ying, you and Jiang Wanyin …"

Wei Wuxian frowned. "What about me and Jiang Cheng?"

Lan Wangji stroked the strings on his guqin contemplatively, mulling over his words for a moment before carefully asking, "Would you like to... go back to Lotus Pier?"

"After shijie's death, you think I would still be welcomed back at Lotus Pier?"

"But you are Jiang Yan's mother. Surely -"

Wei Wuxian shook her head. "If Jiang Yan is as you said - the first disciple of Yunmeng Jiang - then she is an orphan, and her mother is dead. I am the resurrected Yiling Laozu; I cannot be her mother. For her sake, I should have stayed dead. Since that is not the case, then at the least, I shall stay away."

Lan Wangji said nothing in response.

Wei Wuxian closed her eyes. She did not cry.

[vvienne]

ZHANCHENGXIAN FIC RECS

all that burns by ma_malice

Like this, it feels as though they’re cradling Wei Wuxian's memory between them. Like this, they keep a fire burning.

Wei Wuxian is dead.

Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng sleep together about it.

the lantern by the door by Lirelyn

Jin Ling’s needs were constant and repetitive; they ran like a lifeline through Jiang Cheng’s days. He didn’t need to see past the next feeding, the next changing. He didn’t need to persuade himself to get out of bed in the morning; sooner or later Lingling would cry, and he would find he could move after all. In the middle of the night, when neither of them could sleep, he paced up and down the room, holding Lingling to his chest, whispering, “Jiujiu’s here. I won’t leave you alone. I promise.” --- Jiang Cheng knew Lan Zhan had been seeing way more of Wei Ying than he had, but it still burned: Lan Zhan’s easy familiarity with Wei Ying’s household, with his thoughts. I’m the one that grew up with him. He was mine first.

续放纵 | Continued Indulgence by alcego

“What?”

Lan Zhan blinks at him, the heat of a moment ago fading fast, and somehow that pisses Jiang Cheng off even more—enough for him to slam the glass on the counter and jab a finger into Lan Zhan’s chest. Enough for him to demand, “What the fuck’s your deal? Seriously—if you’re gonna get so fucking judgmental about how I grab a goddamn cup, then at least get the balls to say it to my fucking face!”

Lan Zhan’s eyes get wider and wetter and wildly confused with each word; his stupidly nice lips part, just for a second, like maybe he’s gonna say something—like maybe he’s going to do exactly what Jiang Cheng said, but—shit. Fuck—balls.

Jiang Cheng didn’t mean to look.

There’s not even a chance to get mad at himself for it, not when Lan Zhan’s eyes go flinty and hard, when his hand wraps around the back of Jiang Cheng’s head in the blink of an eye—

—not when Lan Zhan’s kissing him about it.

Don't ask about the cabinets; don't ask about anything at all.

Just roll with it.

worm moon by serein

For a man such as Wei Wuxian to have a second chance at this life was surprising enough, a third could only be some kind of cosmic joke.

__________

Two years post-canon, the Yiling Laozu wakes on the streets of a town far from home. Two years post-canon, Wei Wuxian walks into Guangling and meets himself.

In Your Room, In Your Bed by giraffeter

After Wei Ying is disowned, Yu Ziyuan forbids Jiang Cheng from letting Wei Ying live with him. Jiang Cheng lets him stay anyway because Fuck That. He tells his parents Lan Zhan is his new roommate instead.

OMG, they were fake roommates.

tether and belay by Lirelyn (read series for context)

He hadn’t even been sure that he’d be getting another invitation. They might have changed their mind about taking him to bed again; they might never have been serious about it in the first place. He’d spent a lot of time telling himself that it might just have been a whim of Wei Wuxian’s: one fling for old times’ sake. Lan Wangji, of course, would go along with whatever his husband wanted. It had been — good, he thought when he was alone, overwhelmingly good, taking hold of himself as he remembered Lan Wangji filling him, Wei Wuxian’s mouth around him — it had been good, but that didn’t guarantee they would want a repeat.

And a Flame Makes Three by longleggedgit

Jiang Cheng gets sex pollened while stuck in an island cave with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. They do their best to be helpful.

“Listen to me,” Wei Wuxian said. “You can’t take care of this on your own. Lan Zhan doesn’t exaggerate; you know that. You could die, Jiang Cheng.”

From over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, Lan Wangji was shrugging out of his outer robes; it stilled Jiang Cheng for a moment, but the sight of him next spreading them out on the cave floor, like they were about to undergo some ritual deflowering, brought him swiftly back to life.

“Then I��ll die,” Jiang Cheng snarled, trying again to pull away. But the movement was careless, and fabric shifted painfully against his lap, more constricting now than he had realized. He fell forward, fully into Wei Wuxian’s arms, shaking and cursing.

Out of Nothing by Pip (Moirail)

You and me, Wei Ying had said. Jiang Cheng is going to take him at his word.

Command says that the first neural link is the one that stands out the most, the one that everyone has to be the most careful of, because a navigator’s thoughts can get tangled up with their pilot’s and become inextricably linked. Entangled.

a firm hand by verity

When Jiang Wanyin meets Lan Wangji's eyes, his cheeks stain a matching crimson.

"Just look at Jiang Cheng." Wei Wuxian lets out an exaggerated sigh. "He really needs your help, Lan Zhan. Teach him how to punish me."

same, same by jiucengta

You want to see the true legacy of the Yiling Patriarch? Look at the empty spaces Sect Leader Jiang leaves in her wake. Look at the things Hanguang-jun hides in his floorboards.

sunset, like survival by serein

Lan Zhan had never expected to marry.

So of course, fate would have it that he was wed to Wei Ying's beloved shidi, just as they had become close, somewhere between friends and companions.

aka Canon Divergent AU where coreless!JC marries LWJ, complicated feelings ensue. Eventual zhanchengxian.

Acceptance. Understanding. Appreciation. by Anonymous

Some Clan Leaders need to learn how to take 'no' as an answer.

expansion//recursion by coslyons

Dreadnoughts were powered through the combined efforts of three pilots: the source, to generate the raw power; the channel, to refine it and amplify it; and the vessel, to control it. When their channel Wei Wuxian goes missing, Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan have to figure out how to work together to find him while surviving a war.

Tercet by DachOsmin

"You and Lan Wangji taste different,” Jiang Cheng mumbled as he pulled himself away from Wei Wuxian's mouth. Wei Wuxian’s eyes grew wide as saucers in the moonlight. “You’ve kissed Lan Zhan?”

Or: Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng fall into each others' bedrolls while searching for Wei Wuxian. Complications ensue.

an ode to the lovebirds of yunmeng by jiucengta

The events of their lives become stories traded around fires at night hunts, which become legends in the homes of common people. Optics are everything, and everything is political.

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng work with Nie Huaisang to rehabilitate their reputations by being married but not really. Lan Wangji is just trying his best to keep up.

Or, the aftermath of Guanyin Temple told in four seasons, because it was never going to be simple walking away from each other.

pyre by serein

"You haven't seen him," Lan Wangji had said, his gaze heavy on Jiang Cheng. "Since."

Demonic cultivation affects much more than Wei Wuxian's temperament. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng make an offering to the Yiling Laozu.

[agendratum]

you're 4 and you're very confused. a man with a gentle smile leads you away from the doctors when you're finally allowed to leave. the doctors call him zewu-jun, so you start calling him that too.

zewu-jun leads you to your room. you don’t remember this room but he tells you that it’s yours now. you don’t want to stay alone in there. you feel like crying for some reason. with a gentle smile on his face zewu-jun promises you that he will be nearby, he will always be nearby if you need him. you trust him for some reason.

later zewu-jun introduces you to an old man who always frowns his brows. zewu-jun calls him uncle. everyone else calls him master lan. you don’t like the way he frowns his brows all the time or the way his face gets sad when he looks at you. you don’t call him anything. 

you're 5 and zewu-jun tells you that he wants to share a secret with you, but you can’t tell anyone. you feel really important because by this time you learn that zewu-jun is a sect leader, and he must really trust you if he wants to share a secret with you. you promise not to tell anybody. so zewu-jun leads you to the edge of cloud recesses, to a small lonely house. that’s where he introduces you to a man you have never seen before. somehow, he looks familiar. or maybe it’s just because he kind of looks like zewu-jun. zewu-jun calls him wangji. for some reason you want to call him rich-gege. you do not call him that.

the man you do not call rich-gege does not move much. he does not have the same gentle smile that zewu-jun has. but when he looks at you, you feel safe. and sad. 

you’re 6 and you make a friend. he’s the first person to say out loud that master lan’s furrowed brows make him look scary. he’s loud and cheerful and when he’s around you don’t feel sad. but you still remember about the secret and you don’t tell anyone. not even your friend. not even if it makes you feel bad.

you're 7 and you finally see the man you do not call rich-gege again. he's outside his little house now. you’re happy that you don’t need to keep this secret anymore, but not for long. you notice that adults don’t talk about his little house or why he was away. they’re playing this confusing game where they pretend he’s never been away at all. you hear whispers, but no one says anything out loud. not even your friend. but at least he’s as confused as you are.

zewu-jun still calls him wangji, and so does master lan. your peers call him hanguang-jun. no one ever calls him lan zhan. you are certain you never heard anyone call him lan zhan. and yet, you hear someone calling this name in your head, in a voice you somehow know. a loud, ringing voice. you do not know whose voice it is. you're certain you have never heard this voice before. 

you’re 8 and hanguang-jun is putting a bunny on your lap. the bunnies are not a secret but you have never seen anyone but you and hanguang-jun around these parts of cloud recesses. the bunnies are not a secret but you know that pets are not allowed in cloud recesses. you ask hanguang-jun why the bunnies are here then. “the rules should only be followed if they make sense” is the answer. you agree. doesn’t make sense not to have pets. and you like these bunnies. why doesn’t zewu-jun go with you to see bunnies? “ if zewu-jun wants, he can come with us one day.” can your friend also come with you? “your friend can come with us as well.” 

you laugh when hanguang-jun puts another bunny on you. you see hanguang-jun smile.

you’re 9 and you learn that sometimes adults talk without saying any words. you learn it when you see the way master lan frowns his brows at hanguang-jun, the way hanguang-jun looks away, the way zewu-jun signs. but no one says a word. you think that they must be talking about the little house hanguang-jun spent so much time in. you think that because no one ever talks about that. but you still hear whispers. 

you’re 10 and your friend asks you why hanguang-jun was so angry today. you look at him, surprised, because hanguang-jun wasn’t angry, he was just making a joke. your friend looks back at you, confused. “but he looked so angry, didn’t he?” he didn’t. he looks very different when he’s angry. 

that’s how you learn that not everybody spends so much time listening to adults’ silent conversations. 

you’re 11 and you find yourself at the cold springs. you’re not supposed to be here, but you got lost in your thoughts and your feet led you to them. you want to go back but then you notice a familiar figure. it’s hanguang-jun. he’s standing still in the healing water of the cold springs, but it’s something else that catches your eye. there are lines on his back. you move slowly, carefully, not making any noise. you’re not supposed to be here but you can’t turn away for some reason. you see them clearly now. the scars.

you turn around and run. you’re not supposed to run around cloud recesses. you’re not supposed to talk about hanguang-jun’s little house in cloud recesses.

that’s how you learn that it’s not the only thing you’re not supposed to talk about in cloud recesses. 

you’re 12 and you learn that sometimes adults say one thing but mean another. they also can be very, very, very rude. but if they mask it well enough, they will still sound polite. that is how sect leader jiang is. you learn that because hanguang-jun’s expression shifts and he’s angry, he is really angry. he doesn’t do anything though. you think that sect leader jiang wants him to do something, so he continues to be mean. 

you don’t get it, but you remember it.

you’re 13 and you still have nightmares. they come with darkness and thunder, rain and shouts, faces flashing by, almost familiar, almost like you know them, like you can reach out and catch them, but they just disappear in an endless rain, their voices drown out by the thunder. you wake up, not remembering a single face. you want to cry for some reason. you know you’re too old to run to hanguang-jun because of a nightmare, but you can’t sleep, so you let your feet lead you to his house. coming closer you hear a melody. you’re certain you have never heard it before. you’re certain that somehow it sounds familiar. it makes you feel safe, it calms your mind. you stay like that, outside, not wishing to disturb hanguang-jun, until you feel your heart calm down completely. then you head back. 

you’re 14 and there is a scary tale that parents tell their children when they misbehave. the tale is about a demon, a dark figure with red glowing eyes that moves through the night without making a single noise, steals children that don’t listen to their parents from their homes and drags them into its lair deep in the burial mounds. 

most people call this tale, this person, yiling laozu. hanguang-jun calls him wei ying. master lan calls him wei wuxian in an intonation you have never heard from him before. that is not something you’re supposed to hear.

this happens when you learn about the lure flags for the first time. hanguang-jun meets master lan’s gaze and there is fire in hanguang-jun’s eyes. you feel scared, but not of hanguang-jun or master lan. you feel scared of things they don’t talk about. you feel scared of conversations adults have without saying any words.

you’re 15 and you decide that if adults can’t do it, you will speak for them. 

and so you do. the next time sect leader jiang decides, for some reason, to find a hidden far away line of hanguang-jun’s patience, you step up. there is a gentle smile on your face, the same smile that zewu-jun always has when he wants to calm someone’s heated debate. miraculously, it works. so from now on, you speak whenever hanguang-jun doesn’t.

you’re 16 and you think that, maybe, it’s less of a miracle and more of a logical outcome. not everyone spends so much time listening to adults’ silent conversations. not everyone can see through zewu-jun’s polite smile and notice how tired he is. not everyone can see through hanguang-jun’s cold demeanor and understand how much is going through his mind at the moment. not everyone is allowed close enough to see the sadness in master lan’s eyes when he looks at you. not everyone can say that zewu-jun once shared a secret with them. not everyone knows as many secrets as you do.

so it’s really not a miracle. it makes sense when you know what to say or how to smile in a way so it always reaches your eyes. all of it really makes sense.

you’re 17 and zewu-jun seems to be lost in thoughts when he suddenly tells you, "i miss the times when you were asking a lot of questions. you seem so quiet these days when you don't have to work as wanji's interpreter." there is a smile on his face, a gentle familiar smile with a tint of sadness in it. 

you think about all the questions you're not sure you can ask. could zewu-jun be the one to give you the answers? but no, you don't want to worry zewu-jun more than he already is. so you think about other questions, safer ones. you find out that you still have a lot of them. and when a question seems a bit straight-forward or out of place, jingyi is always right there next to you, ready to be a loud voice others simply cannot disregard.

you’re 18 and there are still questions you can’t ask. 

you’re 19 and you still have nightmares. they are duller now, quieter. but they are still here. 

you’re 20 and you meet a man everybody considers crazy. you can clearly see he is not. everyone calls him names. you call him young master mo. he has a bright smile and a loud voice, and when he’s beside you, you feel safe. you’re certain you have never met him before.

you’re … ... and you’re trying to sleep. it’s dark and uncomfortable and you keep hearing noises from the outside, like something is creeping just behind the door. then you hear a melody. a flute. you know this sound. you know what it means. you are safe. you finally fall asleep.

you’re 20 and you ask jingyi if he remembers his childhood, the early parts of it, anything before he was around four. he tells you that there is not much to remember that early in life. maybe he's right. maybe there is not much to remember. is there?

you’re  ... ... and you're wrapped tightly in a blanket, secured on somebody's back. it almost feels safe if not for the terrible rain, and the terrible cold, and the terrible thunder that strikes as you almost fall asleep. and the terrible people, those terrible terrible people. you miss your warm bed, you remember there was a warm bed once. you miss your sister. you remember you had a sister. once.

you’re 20 and you meet a man everybody considers a monster. you can clearly see he is not. everyone calls him the ghost general. you call him wen-xiansheng. he speaks in a quiet voice and looks at you like he knows you. you are not certain you have never met him before.

you’re … … and a butterfly is flying over your head. you’re laughing as someone’s pale hands lower the butterfly so you can catch it. you’re holding it now, it’s as pretty as it was the first day you saw it, one of its wings is only a little bit broken. you hear someone call, “a-yuan!” holding the butterfly as high as you can you run towards the voice. you almost trip on your way there, but before you can fall you’re caught. “a-yuan, be careful”, your aunt’s voice, always so stern, softens a little bit just for you. 

you’re 20 and as you stand in the middle of the road, wiping tears off your cheeks, you finally get your answers. well, most of them anyway. but most importantly, now, with hanguang-jun, wen-xiansheng and wei-qianbei next to you, you finally remember who you are. you are lan sizhui and you are wen yuan, and you will not let it be taken from you again. 

[bigbadredpanda]

Speech patterns

I've seen several people wondering why in fanfics Lan Wangji addresses Wei Wuxian using his birth name instead of 'you' because it doesn't sound quite right in English (e.g. Lan Wangji saying “I want to protect Wei Ying” to Wei Wuxian). I find it intriguing because it does not happen in the novel or in any adaptation, either he uses ‘Wei Ying’ on its own to call/admonish him or he simply uses ‘you’. So it's not a translation issue, it's something that seems to have sprung from the English fandom at some point and spread from there. I’d like to share some thoughts about second and third person addressing and what they say about the speaker’s speech patterns (as always, please do point out if I made a mistake somewhere, this is mostly based on observations not on formal knowledge of linguistics).

Chinese terms of address form a very very intricate system (look upon this and despair) that evolved with time periods. People will address each other and themselves differently depending on various parameters such as their relationship and respective social status.

Addressing someone in the third person can be used as a way to convey polite respect and there are many examples in MDZS:

Ex.1

“请叔父责罚”

[33 lashes scene] LWJ: I ask Uncle for my punishment (audio drama S3E13)

Ex. 2

“咦。你怎么还在这里？”

“兄长在这里，我自然也在这里”

[WWX is about to leave] LXC: Hum? Why do you remain here?

LWJ: Brother is here so my place is here as well. (ch.49)

Ex. 3

"因为，那位秦公子说谎了。"

“魏前辈是如何看出来的？”

WWX: It's because that young master Qin lied to us.

LSZ: How did senior Wei determine that? (ch.120)

Ex. 4

"多谢蓝宗主给魏某这个机会。" (……) “那么请蓝宗主听听看，这支曲子有没有什么古怪？”

WWX: I must thank Sect leader Lan for providing me with this opportunity. (…) I request that Sect leader Lan listen carefully if there's anything amiss with this song. (Wei Wuxian is also using here the humble term of self-address '魏某', literally 'this person named Wei', instead of the first person pronoun 'I') (ch.63)

See, it’s not only Lan Wangji, that’s something that polite characters say in certain situations and that includes Wei Wuxian as contrary to appearances, he does actually know when and how to show proper respect.

Notice that it's always titles or honorifics (on its own or as a suffix to the family name) which demonstrate formality and deference towards the person addressed. On the contrary, using someone's birth name indicates close familiarity (or even rudeness). So in my opinion it doesn't make sense in Chinese to have Lan Wangji use 'Wei Ying’ as a replacement of ‘you’.

It’s noteworthy that it is actually Wei Wuxian who does address Lan Wangji occasionally in the third person by using his title, Hanguang-Jun:

Ex. 5

“不是被罚那你没事倒立干什么？”

“可以静心。”

“那究竟是什么，让冷若冰霜的含光君的心不静啊？”

WWX: If it's not for punishment, why would you do a handstand for no reason?

LWJ: As meditation (’meditation’ is literally ‘to calm one’s heart’).

WWX: Whatever could trouble the heart of the icy Hanguang-Jun? (ch.114)

Ex. 6

“不要吃了。明天买。”

“这不是想给含光君省点钱嘛。”

“永远不用。”

[WWX takes a bite out of an apple dropped by a fierce corpse]

LWJ: Do not eat that. We will buy some tomorrow.

WWX: But this is to save Hanguang-Jun some money.

LWJ: That will never be necessary. (ch.122)

Wei Wuxian uses both ‘Lan Zhan’ and ‘Hanguang-Jun’ throughout the story. During his Yiling Laozu days, it is more to create distance than to be respectful. While pretending to be Mo Xuanyu, Wei Wuxian calls Lan Wangji exclusively by his title with the exception of two slip-ups that occur when Fairy makes an apparition (”Lan Zhan, save me!!”). After it is revealed that Lan Wangji was aware of his identity all along, Wei Wuxian routinely alternates between his birth name and his title, putting them at an equal level of casualness. However, using the title with the third person address is more like a tongue-in-cheek phrasing, it’s Wei Wuxian showing exaggerated courtesy in a playful manner.

The way I feel it, at the heart of it, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are equals and treat each other as such. They respect one another without unnecessary act of self-humbling.

(This is absolutely not meant to be critical of writers who write Lan Wangji's speech that way, I just find it interesting that this became a fandom trend although it’s not based on the source material and I think it should be acknowledged as such.)

[khaotungsfirst]

The snow crunches softly beneath his feet as he walks through the courtyards of Cloud Recesses, into the forest and past the cold pond; now frozen over with a thin layer of ice. It is still early morning and the first sunlight of the day glitters on the fresh snow that has fallen just the night before. Lan Wangji reaches the clearing at the very outskirts of the Gusu Lan grounds which has been his refuge for the past few years whenever he needed a moment to himself.

He halts for a second, basking in the small amount of warmth he gets from the sunlight dancing through the tree branches that are heavy with snow. Everything here is silent and untouched.

Suddenly, a small rustling to his right catches his attention. Bichen is unsheathed in less than a second. The Back Mountain is a quiet area of the Gusu Lan estate. No one except Lan Wangji ever comes here. He is not even sure anyone besides him knows of this particular clearing. He has never encountered any of the Lan elders or disciples while he stayed here and, to be honest, over time he has come to think of it as his.

Now someone else seems to be sneaking around the Gusu Lan grounds. Lan Wangji would have noticed if anyone had followed him so whoever it is must be coming from the outside. How did they break through the protective shield?

All of his senses are immediately on high alert. The last war was only eight years ago and Lan Wangji still remembers with painful clarity the Wens‘ attack on Cloud Recesses and their slaughter of the Lan sect. If someone is going to attack Gusu Lan again, Lan Wangji will stop them right here and now.

He stands very still, waiting for another movement from the intruder. Then, a rustle once again, closer this time. Lan Wangji is about to make a move, his sword raised ready to strike, when a small bunny hops into the clearing, its pink nose sniffing the ground in a futile search for some fresh grass.

Surprised, Lan Wangji slowly lowers Bichen. Reluctant to let his guard down completely he listens for any other noises. But it’s quiet. 

The bunny, undisturbed by his presence, hops a few paces further, still looking for something to eat. Realizing that there is no one planning to attack Gusu Lan, Lan Wangji sheathes his sword and approaches the bunny with hesitant steps. He picks it up with gentle hands and holds it up to his face.

“What are you doing out here all by yourself? This is no place for a rabbit. It’s freezing,” he scolds the bunny. Its soft little paws are ice-cold. The animal doesn’t seem to care much, however. Instead, it looks back at him as if it wanted to ask him the same question. Fair.

He cradles it into his arm, holding it close to his body. It immediately starts nibbling on the sleeves of his robes. Lan Wangji doesn’t mind, though. He knows this bunny and its quirks well.

He never named his rabbits, afraid he might become too emotionally attached to them. But Xichen once said that it made no difference and that he clearly loves all of them dearly nonetheless. He’s right, of course.

The bunnies give him comfort when no one else is able to. They don’t try to cheer him up with words that mean nothing to him or impatiently wait for him to get over it eventually. They don’t have any expectations that he can’t fulfill. They’re just here. And although he’d never admit it to anyone, he has secretly given this particular rabbit the name Suibian. He couldn’t help it. With the reckless behavior it tends to demonstrate among its peers it reminded him too much of Wei Ying.

With a sigh he sits down on an old tree stump in the middle of the clearing and lets Suibian settle on his lap. It’s cold and the layers of robes only provide so much protection from the elements. But Lan Wangji has long since gotten used to it. He’s been feeling cold for years.

Suibian was born a few days after Wei Ying’s death. The child in him, the one that used to kneel in front of his mother’s room for hours, the one that still believes in miracles, likes to imagine that Suibian is actually Wei Ying reincarnated, cursed to live a life as a bunny for the rest of his days. A merciful fate considering all the things he has done in the name of justice. It’s silly, of course, but it has helped him deal with the enormous grief that has made itself a home in his heart.

Lan Wangji gives Suibian a few gentle strokes while allowing his thoughts to drift off to happier times. Before the war. Before the Sunshot Campaign. Back when he and Wei Ying were just starting to become closer and Lan Wangji didn’t know how to deal with these feelings he was quickly developing.

“I miss him, Suibian.”

It feels good to say it out loud. He never said it to anyone but sometimes the yearning within him is so vast that he suspects everybody can feel it radiating from him. Xichen of course knows. Uncle does as well even though he would prefer it not to be that way. Even Sizhui must sense the sadness in him even though he always tries to be strong for him.

Sizhui… he’s grown so much already. Lan Wangji has tried his best to raise him as if he were his own son. It wasn’t always easy considering the circumstances but he is proud of A-Yuan. He wishes Wei Ying could see how much he flourishes here at Gusu Lan. He might not have agreed with many of the rules and maybe thought the Lan sect too strict for a child to grow up in but even he would have to admit that Sizhui seems happy here. One day Lan Wangji will tell him who the Yiling Laozu really was and what he did to protect his real family. But not yet. He’s still too young.

“Ouch!” 

Lan Wangji flinches. Somehow, Suibian has managed to chew a hole in his sleeve and has now reached his arm. Despite himself, he smiles at the ferocious animal on his lap. It’s like it knows whenever he’s drowning in his own thoughts and does whatever it sees fit to get him out of it. Maybe it really is Wei Ying…

He gets up, still holding Suibian close to his chest, and starts making his way back to the main hall of Cloud Recesses.

“Let’s find you something that’s more appropriate for bunnies to eat, hm?”

cross-posted on ao3

[tangledinmdzs]

Can you write a headcanon for Wangji and Wuxian dealing with a junior cultivator with a martyr complex, and because they are insecure about their status as a sect leader's bastard child, they are not only secretly jaded and desperate for approval, but they decided to become a cultivator and actively join night-hunts with the intention of looking for a heroic and noble way to die so people won't hate them for existing and remember them favorably

hi there!

hmm this is cool; i like it. let me give it a try. this is probably like an o/c headcanon so do forgive me if it seems underdeveloped. 

here’s to your request~

.・゜゜・　　・゜゜・．

in the depths of the night, where anticipation whispers in the forest breeze,

there is a moment in time where no one knows what is to come 

Lan Wangji, Hanguang-Jun, knows these moments well, can read the atmosphere like the back of his own hand, after more than enough experience on the nighthunting field

is husband, Wei Wuxian, Yiling Laozu, is not too shabby either, a fierce competition to the monsters that dare come out of their hiding places

but younger cultivators, newcomers, ambitious youth

usually are not patient enough to read the atmosphere

“Daiyu!” 

Lan Wangji tilts his head at the whispered shout from a few trees away, and is unsurprised to see the young junior that is edging out of the hiding space that she had just been assigned to

“Daiyu! come back here you idiot!” her friend, some younger boy, calls out to her

but Daiyu had never listened to anyone’s words

her name meaning black jade, had already cast in her personality a kind of stubborn atmosphere, 

Wei Wuxian had always thought that her parents named her that for the color of her eyes, blackest of black, until he learned of the many wives that her father had been known to have 

was he even the one that named her?

aside from her dark coal eyes, her hair was black, like the midnight sky

so Wei Wuxian does not worry as much as her companion for her cover to be exposed

just that, maybe she might expose everyone else’s

standing so close to his husband, Wei Ying turns when he hears the sigh that comes from the other man,

“she is reckless,” Lan Wangji says, bluntly, harshly

but it is not wrong 

Daiyu is jaded in name and in life, continuously putting her life at risk for one single word of thanks

one that doesn’t come very often considering how she throws herself into danger more often times than not

“she is a child,” Wei Ying finds himself defending, even though Daiyu’s past actions have cost not only the escape of the evil spirits but at times, even injuries

a growl in the stretch of green before them makes the two cultivation partners stand up, Lan Wangji stepping out of his cover with Wei Ying in tow

Lan Wangji holds his hand out as a signal to the younger cultivators to stay put, while Wei Ying runs out to the field 

he runs and stops at the sight of Daiyu, leveling her shabby sword at a demon snake, something that will most definitely break her weapon in half

“stand back!” Wei Wuxian calls out, already whipping out a talismen from his inner pockets and writing with blood 

when he looks back up before his attack, he’s surprised to see the young girl stubbornly standing where she is

“move! so i can help you,” Wei Wuxian tells her loudly, eyes wide in an even mixture of shock and annoyance

but the young girl bites her lip, points her sword at the snake demon who seems preoccupied with staring into the depths of her eyes

Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to try to throw his talismen, worried of the proximity of Daiyu to the demon snake

though luckily his concern is easily dissipated, when Lan Zhan flies in, attacking the demon from behind 

it withers and screams under the glow of power from Hanguang-Jun’s guqin 

it’s almost anti-climatic

the easy defeat to the heavy stance that Daiyu had held with the demon snake, eye to eye 

between predator and prey

when Hanguang-Jun lands, the rest of the juniors flood out of their hiding places, running to gush and awe over his power as per usual

though as the kids rush past and over to his husband, Wei Ying’s eyes stay on Daiyu

she drops her sword her side, holding it limply in the sea of people that walk past and away from her, 

never going to be able see her as anything more than a nuisance 

he sees the heaviness of her shoulders, even though the snake demon was taken care of, finished, even if not by her hand

as the crowd parts, Wei Ying is surprised to meet eyes with her, land on her deep dark black orbs

Wei Ying can’t blink, almost trancelike by the depth of her sorrow, her subtle anger

there’s a darkness there that he feels is more than just the simple color of black

though Wei Ying can’t be sure

not when Daiyu rips her eyes out of their shared stare

and walks away

[spaceskam]

Hello! For Title Tuesday, how about 33 and wangxian, since I recently fell into this ship and am still swooning and desperate for more! Thank you, love everything you do!

thank you! and thank you for waiting a week too! I’ll add the ao3 link whenever I get the chance to post it over there, I hope you like it!

title tuesday instructions

tags: cql canon, post-canon, a bit of sad and lonely WWX 

33. an uncomfortable month [ao3]

When Wei Wuxian came back to Cloud Recesses, he’d been excited.

He missed Sizhui and Wen Ning and having a reliable place to sleep and bathe, but mainly he missed Lan Zhan. He’d been so excited to hang on him again, to trick him into staying up past curfew by talking for hours and it was simply rude to fall asleep while someone was talking, to catch those moments when he smiled. He missed them together, whatever that meant and in whatever capacity he was allowed to have it in.

However, he hadn’t expected it to be so… weird. Awkward, maybe, was a better word. Lan Zhan was, for the most part, the same, but he was always so busy and so Wei Wuxian had to entertain himself. To make matters worse, apparently, people thought he was the great Hanguang-Jun’s ward. At first it’d been funny, but now it was simply annoying.

“Lan Zhan,” he whined, pouting and squishing his face against Lan Zhan’s arm. He didn’t slow down his pace or even accommodate Wei Wuxian’s affections, so he took the hint and stood up straight. He rolled his shoulders, shaking away that little bud that was beginning to blossom inside him that did nothing but remind him that he was unwanted. He was hoping to get rid of it before he couldn’t ignore it. “Lan Zhan, what did you tell them? I’ve told three separate people that I’m not your ward and not a single one of them believed me.”

“Mn.”

“Mn,” Wei Wuxian mimicked, rolling his eyes, “What does that mean?”

“I have said nothing to anyone about my relationship to Wei Ying,” he said.

“Yeah, including me,” Wei Wuxian grumbled softly. Lan Wangji tilted his head slightly in his direction as if listening and Wei Wuxian managed a laugh, petting his arm. “I’m teasing, Lan Zhan. So, what, do I just let them think that? What if rumors start about my age, though? Aren’t wards much younger?”

“Let them come to their own conclusion,” Lan Zhan said firmly. Wei Wuxian’s face felt warm at the implication. Though, maybe there were no implications and his mind was just a bit naughty.

His mind had definitely been awfully naughty these days.

“So, you won’t mind what they say when I stay in the Jingshi long past curfew?” Wei Wuxian asked. Lan Zhan didn’t answer which meant he didn’t mind. Wei Wuxian leaned closer. “But what will they say if I don’t leave at all?”

Lan Zhan came to a halt, turning to him. Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened a bit, shocked he was getting that much of a reaction. Lan Zhan hadn’t really given him much of a reaction since he came back. It was all very cordial. Plain. Wei Wuxian never overstayed his welcome at the Jingshi because of it, regardless of how much he wanted to take a nap in his bed again. It was much warmer than the guest rooms.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, staring at him. His eyes slowly grazed over his face and then further down and Wei Wuxian felt a bit lightheaded. “Are your rooms not satisfactory?”

“No,” he said. Lan Zhan blinked and then nodded before Wei Wuxian’s brain processed anything at all. “No! I mean, yes, I mean, they’re fine. Fine.”

Lan Zhan took a slow, even breath. “Wei Ying.”

“I suppose I was under the impression that I would be staying in the Jingshi,” Wei Wuxian said slowly, stupidly, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t know how long Lan Zhan planned to let him stay here, but it couldn’t be too much longer. “You know, like we did last time.”

“Wei Ying was here under pressing circumstances last time,” Lan Zhan pointed out, his eyebrows pulled together just enough to show his confusion. It was such a small change from his normal expression that Wei Wuxian barely caught it. “Wei Ying deserves a space of his own for however long he will be here.”

And it was so sweet that Wei Wuxian didn’t have the heart to tell him that he didn’t really mind sharing if it meant sharing with Lan Zhan. In fact, he’d much rather that. If they were in the same room, then they would at least see each other every day without Wei Wuxian having to hunt him down.

But Lan Zhan had been very thoughtful and Wei Wuxian smiled.

“Oh. I suppose I misunderstood,” he said. Lan Zhan blinked slowly and he took a step forward.

“Wei Ying can stay as long as he desires. And he can have whatever he desires. If he wishes to stay in the Jingshi, he is welcome,” Lan Zhan said. Wei Wuxian nodded slowly in understanding, but his cheeks just started to grow warm and he found himself laughing for no reason. It wasn’t funny. He did it anyway.

“Silly Lan Zhan, you don’t want to give me your house! I am just a ward, don’t you remember?” Wei Wuxian laughed. Lan Zhan blinked, but then nodded his head once.

Lan Zhan continued to walk and Wei Wuxian followed as they made their way to the open courtyard where young disciples were practicing sword forms. They were all around 13 or 14 and greeted Lan Zhan with a warm ‘Hanguang-Jun’ and then quickly averted their eyes from Wei Wuxian. They hadn’t done that before he left, even when they knew he was the Yiling Laozu. He put a little more space between him and Lan Zhan, just to be safe.

The days continued on like this, Lan disciples averting their eyes and Lan Zhan just being eerily calm. Not to say he wasn’t always calm, but he seemed almost sedated. Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure how to handle that. He would press his luck and stay later in the Jingshi, but he was never told to leave even as Lan Wangji went about his business to prepare for bed. It was like he didn’t care about anything but work. Wei Wuxian felt like he’d missed a step.

“A-Yuan!” Wei Wuxian called, walking a bit faster than was Lan appropriate to catch up with him. He was the only one who’s behavior made sense. Sweet and righteous and adorable. 

“Wei-qianbei,” Lan Sizhui said warmly, bowing politely. Then he stood up, paused a moment, and went in for a short hug. That was another thing that made sense. He always gave him hugs when no one else was around. Wei Wuxian gave them freely right back.

“A-Yuan, could I ask you something? Between you and I, of course,” Wei Wuxian said, trying to keep his voice diplomatic as they continued to walk. It made him smile so big his eyes turned into little crescents. Adorable, truly.

“Yes, Wei-qianbei, anything.”

“Did something happen while I was gone? The Lans have never been exactly fond of me, but viewing me as Hanguang-Jun’s ward and being too awkward to even look my way is definitely new. Did a rumor about me spread? I haven’t heard any,” Wei Wuxian said, tapping his nose thoughtfully. He’d tried to come up with reasons and failed each time. “Even your Hanguang-Jun has been weird.”

“Ah,” Lan Sizhui said, giving a tense little smile and looking away quickly as his cheeks began to burn red. Wei Wuxian stopped walking, putting his hand on his arm.

“A-Yuan,” he said, using the same tone of voice he’d used when he would tell him to spit out whatever he’d shoved in his mouth 16 years ago now. It was enough to make him tilt his head back in Wei Wuxian’s direction.

“Hanguang-Jun just… made it very clear that you were not to be disrespected,” he said carefully. Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What does that mean?”

Lan Sizhui pushed his hair off his neck and looked around. Wei Wuxian put his hands on his hips and waited for an explanation. Hanguang-Jun had been acting strange as well. What the hell could he have possibly done?

“Have you been to the Jingshi?” Lan Sizhui asked quietly.

“Of course I have.”

“Then have you not… noticed?”

“Noticed what?” 

Lan Sizhui’s face flushed again and he shyly looked at Wei Wuxian which only furthered his confusion. He went to the Jingshi nearly every day. Had he missed something that obvious?

“Perhaps you should ask Hanguang-Jun. It doesn’t feel like my place to say,” Sizhui said. Wei Wuxian scrunched up his nose and sighed.

“Everything is so difficult around here,” he said, earning a small smile from Sizhui. Wei Wuxian reached out to smooth his forehead ribbon carefully. “Fine, I suppose I’ll ask.”

“Alright, Wei-qianbei.”

“Once I straighten that, we’ll address this Wei-qianbei nonsense. Am I not worthy enough to be your Xian-gege anymore?” Wei Wuxian asked, enjoying the sound of his laughter. That made sense. If A-Yuan was laughing and smiling with him, then things couldn’t be that bad. He was sure of it.

“Alright, Xian-gege.”

Wei Wuxian spent his day as normal as he could, though he was already prepared to pack up if need be. He would ask Lan Zhan what he’d missed and see what he said, but he didn’t want to be in a place where everyone wouldn’t even look his way anymore. It was too uncomfortable.

He didn’t want to leave Lan Zhan and he wouldn’t if he didn’t have to, but it was beginning to feel like he had to.

As the day began to wind to an end and it was around the time that Lan Wangji would be retiring to the Jingshi, Wei Wuxian made a point to beat him there. He let himself in and took a look around, trying to notice if there was anything amiss. Nothing stood out.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said as he entered in complete silence. Wei Wuxian spun around to face him, smiling as innocent as he could. 

Lan Zhan eyed him skeptically, not buying it for a moment and yet not calling him out either. It was little things like that that reminded him that Lan Zhan was a grown man now and not a hot-headed teenager. Not that he’d ever admit he was hot-headed, but still.

“Lan Zhan! I was waiting for you, let’s eat,” Wei Wuxian said, coming close and plucking the tray of food out of Lan Zhan’s hands. He brought it to the table and knelt on one side. Lan Zhan was still watching him closely as he placed Bichen on its stand and came closer.

Lan Zhan knelt at the other side of the table and poured tea for the both of them. Wei Wuxian smiled in his gratitude and downed it. They ate in silence which seemed to be an immediate warning flag for Lan Zhan if the way he was staring said anything. Granted, Wei Wuxian never listened to that particular Lan rule before.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said softly as their meal ended. It was around the time he usually started moving around the room to prepare for bed. And it was the night he usually took a bath, so typically he would go to the other side of the privacy screen and disrobe while Wei Wuxian talked through his body lighting on fire from the inside. “Is there something wrong?”

“Ah, why would something be wrong?” Wei Wuxian laughed. Really, he just wasn’t quite ready to ask what happened after he left to travel last time. What had made all the Lan disciples look away and spread rumors that he was a ward. He still couldn’t get over that. A ward! How could they possibly think he was a ward? 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan repeated.

Wei Wuxian sighed and let his shoulders sink a bit, his eyes going anywhere but in Lan Zhan’s direction as he fiddled with his robes. It shouldn’t be so hard to ask.

“Lan Zhan,” he said, “What changed while I was gone? I asked A-Yuan, but, you know, just like his Hanguang-Jun, he’s all too respectful to tell me what is yours to say. So all I ask is what happened to make everyone avoid me. More than they avoided me when they knew I was just the Yiling Laozu which, honestly, is impressive.”

Lan Zhan stared at him for a long moment and Wei Wuxian would’ve thought he was just annoyed by the question if not for the way his ears were slowly burning brighter and brighter with each breath. Wei Wuxian tilted his head.

“Lan-er-gege, what did you do?” Wei Wuxian asked, a bit of teasing in his voice if only to lighten the tension.

“My sect will be ordered to stop avoiding you. I apologize for their lack of respect,” Lan Zhan said. Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes.

“Aiya, Lan Zhan! You know that isn’t it! Now, tell me,” Wei Wuxian said. Lan Zhan took a deep breath and stared at him. Wei Wuxian pushed himself up on his knees and walked on them over to him. He sat down right beside him, their knees nearly touching. “Is it something bad? Would it be easier for me to leave?”

That got his attention and Lan Zhan looked at him quickly, his eyes sharp and determined. They both knew Lan Zhan wouldn’t keep him here if he didn’t want to, but Wei Wuxian felt a rush of warmth at the idea that Lan Zhan would still give a lot to make him want to be here. To feel welcome in his home. That was nice.

“Alright,” Lan Zhan said, his hands clutching his robes, “I had a larger bed constructed.”

“Ah?” Wei Wuxian breathed, eyebrows coming together in confusion. He looked over his shoulder to the bed and, yes, maybe it was a bit larger than when he slept in it last, but it wasn’t that much larger. Just… big enough for two. “You’re… getting married?” Wei Wuxian asked slowly, dread poking at his gut and against those quiet sounds of ‘you’re not welcome, no one wants you here’ pried into his mind.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan breathed, looking some mix of fond and exasperated. Wei Wuxian could hear his heart in his ears.

“What does a larger bed have to do with me?” he asked. Lan Zhan slowly closed his eyes. Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened when he realized what the Lans were thinking, what they must be assuming he and their brilliant Chief Cultivator were doing in that large bed. “Ah! And they’re calling me a ward? Is that to save their own thoughts? How shameless of them, Lan Zhan.”

“And not shameless of me?” he asked, tilting his head. Wei Wuxian blinked and then nearly melted.

“Oh. Lan Zhan,” he teased, gently pushing his shoulder. Wei Wuxian’s insides were similar to the way he felt when he knew he was naked behind a privacy screen‒entirely on fire to the point he was almost dizzy. “Were your disciples not just assuming, Lan Zhan? Well, that would explain why A-Yuan got so flustered when I asked. Ah! You are shameless. But, don’t worry, shamelessness looks very nice on you.”

Lan Zhan’s smile slowly appeared and that was nice. Similar to A-Yuan’s, if Lan Zhan was smiling then nothing could ever really be wrong.

“Then why would you give me my own quarters? And why would you act so scandalized when I asked why I wasn’t living in the Jingshi? Lan Zhan, you’re terrible at courting!” Wei Wuxian pointed out. However, saying the word courting out loud when he was speaking about the two of them made a little too obvious what was going on and he leaned closer to Lan Zhan to keep his mind busy. “And still your disciples were thinking things that hadn’t even happened yet.”

“Yet?” Lan Zhan asked, ignoring his questions that were honestly rather important. But, well, he could get those answers later he supposed.

“Yet,” Wei Wuxian repeated, eyes scanning his face. He was so handsome. All of those naughty thoughts that Wei Wuxian had shoved away out of respect came back to the surface very quickly. “Lan Zhan.”

When Wei Wuxian found himself sprawled half-naked on the bed within the Jingshi, he didn’t finally notice the size difference.

[rosethornewrites]

Saturday NR, E, & M reading

The usual

Finished

Not Rated:

WWX becomes a healer instead, by nirejseki

Prompt: Wei Wuxian’s obsessions get redirected to healing at a young age. He is still a chaos gremlin.

Mature:

I Just Want To Be Part Of Your Symphony, by AshayaTReldai

Wei Wuxian's brilliant mind contemplates the possibility of musical-dual-cultivation.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

One for the Little Kids Who Live Down the Lane, by Anonymous

The Second Jade is righteous, beautiful, valiant, and intelligent. Clearly, the only man good enough for Wei Wuxian's sister.

Explicit:

Birthday Party, by waffles_4_breakfast

What if Jin Zixun didn't attack Wei Wuxian at Qiongqi Path and waited until the party to attack?

A fix-it fic where Wei Wuxian gets to attend the party and an entirely different cascade of events follow.

Dew Drops in the Gentle Morning Light, by samuelleslytherin

A world where Lan Wangji dies, and Wei Wuxian tries to remember him in the solitude of Cloud Recesses, in the silence of the Jingshi, and in the face of Lan Xichen.

Mature:

Live Again, Love Anew, by kkanime5555

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian finally speaks up.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan hums to show he’s listening.

“I think we traveled back in time.”

...

“I’ll go, Lan Zhan. I’ll come to Gusu with you.”

-----

Or,

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are soulmates and, upon Wei Ying's death, they are sent back to when they first met as kids on the streets of Yiling. From there, they both are taken to Gusu, where they are raised together, gradually learning of their shared feelings and finding out the mystery of who sent them back in time and why, all while planning how to save the world, preferably with all their loved ones left alive.

Sword-Like Spirit, Guqin-Like Soul, by Stepdavii

'The smoke seemed to push and pull Wei Wuxian about, tugging at his clothes, hair, and limbs. It sucked the life out from Wei Wuxian as his cheeks hallowed and his body began to thin. The whites of his eyes reddened and bruises formed under them.

Blood began seeping through the white of his robes.'

In which, on a very normal day within Cloud Recesses, while Wei Wuxian was walking to the library with Lan Wangji to copy rules of which he was caught breaking, Wei Wuxian is suddenly attacked by a dark cloud of screaming fog. The next time he wakes, he is not the same Wei Wuxian whom is at the Cloud Recesses for classes, but instead the Wei Wuxian of the future. The feared Yiling Laozu who had just lost his sister and who's last memory is of him letting go of Lan Wangji's hand as Jiang Cheng's sword pierces into the cliff he just tried to jump off of.

I Call For You to Come Back, by T98

It wasn't possible. And yet here they were. His parents looked at him full of fondness, unknowing of what he did or who he had become.

"A-ying, you are so big now," his mother spoke, tears running freely down her face.

Keeping Our Promises Unbroken, by ColdBloodedReptile

The last thought Jiang Yanli had was that it was worth it to save her brother, and she would be reunited with her husband.

Except, that was not what happened at all.

Or, Jiang Yanli travels to the past after Nightless City, and decides to not let history repeat itself. She's surprised to find she's not the only one who wishes that.

Steps in a circle, by Immortal_love

When an assassination attempt weakens Wei Wuxian to the point of death, Wen Qing takes matters into her own hands. The second chance at a life, he thought he wouldn’t get, Wei Wuxian promises to do his best. The wens are safe, yet there are still challenges to overcome and battles to fight, but he has his family and the support of an ally he thought he would never have.

“I did something worthy of my Wen name, it saved your life. I will not burden you with the truth, but I would do it again if I had to.”

It’s ice meeting you, by Lucky_Moonly

Zizhen seemed lost in thought. “ And of course, your uncle and your aunt never told you anything about who your other dad might be either?”

“Well Ning-shushu once said A-Rong has our other father’s eyes,” Wen Sizhui said pensively after a while. ”And we know he’s a cultivator too.”

“Yellow eyes aren’t very common,” Zizhen agreed. “ Have you ever thought about doing a search on your Baba online or something? To uncover his past?”

Cutting Out a Different Path, by T98

Wei Wuxian wakes up with an old back pain and a lack of a familiar warmth by his side. He groans, moving his arm around the bed to feel for Lan Wangji. Except what he feels is not a bed. Startled, he gets up quickly to find himself on a familiar slab of rock in a very familiar cave. Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, he takes a look around. His half-finished talismans are lying around on the floor and he can hear voices from outside