Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! We have arrived at the end of this story which has occupied my thoughts every single day and hogged most if not all of my free time for the past year and three months. Enjoy this final chapter :)

Beta: JeanGirlMY (*crawls out of dark basement, spitting and hissing* 'DOBBY IS FREE!")

And a huge thank you, hug and kiss to my poor, long suffering beta who could have done without the surfeit of romance and fluff XD Wait, come back! I still need you for my next story! *chases after her*

- Chapter Start -

Six months later...

A month before Jiang YanLi was due to give birth, Jin GuangShan passed away and never got to gaze upon the face of his first grandchild.

The official story was that he had suffered a massive stroke after the excesses of his son's wedding eight months ago. The truth was that he had been poisoned by Xue Yang that night and been paralysed ever since, unable to move or utter a word or do more than blink his eyes. After she was confident the poison had exited his system, Madam Jin requested the Jin healers to inspect him. To her relief, they were unable to ascertain the cause of his paralysis nor cure it.

As the months passed, Jin GuangShan's condition deteriorated until he finally slipped into a coma, his organs barely functioning and his golden core all but depleted. Madam Jin began to fear she would end up holding a funeral while welcoming her first grandchild. After dismissing her servants one night, she withdrew all her acupuncture needles from his meridian points and kept vigil, waiting until he had drawn his last breath before leaving his room.

The funeral was a private affair with only court officials and close family members attending. As Madam Jin paid her last respects to the man who had made their marriage a sham and her a laughingstock for almost twenty years, all she felt was a bone deep sense of relief. It had been taxing for her servants to take turns caring for him. It had been equally taxing for ZiXuan to visit him three times a week and give updates with no hope of getting any acknowledgement in return, good or otherwise.

YanLi never stepped foot inside his room again. Neither Madam Jin nor ZiXuan ever tried to persuade her otherwise. The three of them remained dry eyed throughout the wake and subsequent funeral. Even ZiXun didn't seem grief stricken. In his uncle's absence, he had turned to ZiXuan and A-Li for approbation with the result that his behaviour had improved... somewhat. His still didn't get along well with most people. A-Li was polite and Maiden Luo tolerated him, but little XuanYu still clung to their hands when he saw ZiXun and even stuck close to Madam Jin which said a lot.

Madam Jin had given her blessings when ZiXuan vowed to find all his half siblings and ensure they were well taken care of. After all, his position as sect leader was already secured and he had an heir on the way.

Less than a month later, Jiang YanLi gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Jin Ling, courtesy name Jin RuLan. Three months and ten days after that, a party was held at Lanling to celebrate his one hundredth day. In light of their recent bereavement, ZiXuan invited only the three Great Sects and the smaller ones within Lanling territory.

- o -

The group from Cloud Recesses were the first to arrive at Koi Tower with gilded invitation in hand. They were a bit taken aback to see the welcoming committee comprised of Jin ZiXun and a few gold robed Jin disciples.

"I guess shijie and the peacock are busy with a-Ling," Wei Ying murmured as Jin ZiXun approached them, lips pressed thin and eyes locked onto a point above XiChen-ge's head. They had seen him during their visits to Koi Tower, but he would make himself scarce if it wasn't an official visit. Even then, they barely exchanged more than half a dozen words.

"Senior Lan, Madam Sisi, ZeWu Jun, HanGuang Jun. Welcome to Koi Tower and Jin Ling's one hundredth day celebration," ZiXun spoke in clipped tones and offered a shallow bow.

"Thank you," Uncle QiRen replied, voice just as curt. "My other two nephews and grandnephew are here too in case you haven't realised."

"The Yiling Patriarch, LianFang Jun and Lan SiZhui," Wei Ying added with a helpful if slightly evil grin.

Jin ZiXun looked like he wanted to gnash his teeth, but he just nodded.

"Young Master Wei, GuangYao, Young Master Lan," he acknowledged through clenched teeth.

"Hello, second angry-gege," A-Yuan piped up, waving a hand from the safety of Lan Zhan's arms.

Jin ZiXun's eyes twitched in turn. Both of them.

"Sect Leader Jin and Young Madam Jin are at her guest pavilion," he bit out and jerked his chin at one of the Jin disciples. "Jin Rong here will escort you."

"No need, we know where it is," Wei Ying told him and held up a small box which he took from his sleeve. "Look, I even have my gift ready for A-Ling! He's sure to love it!"

Inside the box was a bracelet imbued with multiple safety charms and talismans. Wei Ying had spent countless nights working on it, making it as perfect as could be.

ZiXun glared at the box like he would have loved to crush it in his hand.

"Don't worry about us," Wei Ying continued breezily and even clapped him on the shoulder as they went past. "You have better things to do... like greeting the Jiang Sect who should be arriving soon."

"Make that right now," said a familiar voice, causing them to spin around.

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei Ying's grin widened. "Wen Qing, Wen Ning, Long-ge, you all made good time!"

"Of course we did," Wen Qing replied. She was wearing purple and pink robes, loosely belted on account of her pregnancy. "I hope YanLi-jie has some food ready. I'm starving!"

"Didn't you eat a good breakfast?" Jiang Cheng muttered and looked expectantly at Wen Ning as if expecting him to produce a bun or a pastry from his person.

"Jiejie had one bowl of noodles, another of sweet porridge and three lotus paste buns," Wen Ning defended himself, sounding both plaintive and impressed.

"And I had two bowls of noodles and three red bean buns but I'm also hungry!" Laughing, Aunt Sisi latched onto Wen Qing's arm while their husbands exchanged resigned looks.

Wei Ying chuckled and reached for Lan Zhan's hand.

"Good thing I can't get pregnant," he quipped, "or I'd eat even more than them."

"Wei Ying can eat as much as he wants," Lan Zhan assured him.

"You as well," Wei Ying assured him in turn, "even though you never do."

Looking like he longed to clap his hands over his ears and flee, Jin ZiXun went to greet the Nie brothers who had just arrived.

"Da-ge! HuaiSang!" XiChen-xiong and GuangYao went over over as well, beaming.

Nie MingJue barely waited for their bows before stepping forward to stop them with his hands. Wei Ying and HuaiSang snickered to each other at Jin ZiXun's perplexed expression when Nie MingJue continued to hold his two sworn brothers' hands.

"Let's go see shijie," he told Lan Zhan. "I want to be the first to give A-Ling his gift!"

- o -

Wei Ying and the others had already met Jin Ling as a newborn and when he turned one month old and then two. But today was different because he was a hundred days old!

"A-Xian, A-Cheng, you made good time," Jiang YanLi greeted her brothers, her smile radiant despite the shadows under her eyes. Then she looked behind them. "Master Lan, please excuse me for not getting up."

"Hmph, Whatever happened to 'Uncle QiRen'?" Master Lan muttered, looking put out at the formality.

Jin ZiXuan moved from his wife's side to greet his guests with a formal bow. He too, looked like he hadn't slept much. No wonder since Jin Ling, normally a happy baby, was fussing and squirming in his mother's arms. Wei Ying thought the gold cap and elaborate gold robes he wore didn't look comfortable, but kept his thoughts to himself.

"Here, allow Da-jiu," he said plucked Jin Ling from his mother's arms. "Aiyaa, A-Ling, don't give your parents a hard time or jiujiu here will threaten to break your legs."

"Of course I won't!" Jiang Cheng glared at him before smiling down at their nephew who had quietened down and was giving them a gummy smile. "There we go, he knows his uncles."

"He knows me," Wei Ying corrected, bouncing him carefully in his arms. "I've visited him twice as much as you have."

Jiang Cheng bristled at once.

"I have a sect to run," he protested. "Do you know how much work-"

"And a pregnant wife to pander to," Wei Ying interrupted him with a grin. "Didn't take you two long at all. Wen Qing is just a month behind Aunt Sisi."

As Jiang Cheng sputtered and Uncle QiRen hastily moved over to the table laden with refreshments, Jiang YanLi laughed.

"You two are amazing with A-Ling," she said and hid a yawn behind a hand. "He was up half the night and so were we."

They were well able to afford wet nurses and servants, but she had insisted on taking care of her son since the day he was born. Madam Jin approved of that and helped to babysit as much as possible.

One can never be too careful.

- o -

The feast would be held at Glamour Hall, but it wasn't noon yet so they all lingered at the guest pavilion, sitting at the tables around the lotus pond. It was a lovely spring day. There was a nip in the air, but the trees around the pavilion blocked most of the wind and there was plenty of hot tea and pastries to keep one warm.

Sisi and Wen Qing were cooing over Jin Ling while YanLi and Madam Jin looked on. Wei WuXian and GuangYao were with them, but the other males opted to sit some distance away with a cup of tea in hand. HuaiSang sat with them, having no interest in making funny faces at a drooling, toothless baby.

"Do you see that look in A-Li's eyes?" Jin ZiXuan asked after a while.

"What look?" Jiang WanYin asked at once.

"She wants more children," Jin ZiXuan replied, smothering a yawn and rubbing his eyes.

Da-ge and HuaiSang chuckled at the startled look Jiang WanYin and Master Lan exchanged. It was obvious they didn't know if that was good news or bad.

"Master Lan, have the Gusu healers guessed at the gender of your and Madam Sisi's baby?" HuaiSang asked politely.

Once upon a time, Master Lan would have stroked his goatee. Now, he just nodded.

"They have predicted it is a boy although either gender would be welcome," he said.

The others weren't surprised, seeing as he had one brother and no sisters while the late QingHeng Jun had had two sons and no daughters.

"Well, A-Qing is sure ours is a girl," Jiang WanYin said with a proud grin. He turned to Master Lan.

"Will your son be the next sect leader?" He asked, not bothering to couch it in diplomatic terms.

Master Lan shook his head at once.

"SiZhui is next in line," he said firmly. "He is the son of the current sect leader and the most promising disciple of his age."

The others glanced at HanGuang Jun who nodded in agreement with barely hidden pride in his eyes.

- o -

After a while, HuaiSang got up and excused himself, saying he wanted to stretch his legs. In truth, he wanted to look for Mo XuanYu. They hadn't seen each other for almost two months now, since the last discussion conference at Gusu. Jin ZiXuan had persuaded XuanYu's mother to move to Lanling where he rented a small but comfortable place for her and her son with a generous monthly allowance to live on. XuanYu stayed with her during weekends and at Koi Tower on weekdays to work on his cultivation skills.

HuaiSang was aware of how laughably eager he was to see XuanYu and how he always made sure he looked his best for a boy of ten. No, eleven now. But it was worth it for the delighted smile that lit up XuanYu's face when he saw him, the way he would stop whatever he was doing and run to fling his arms around him. HuaiSang, who had almost thrown out his back trying to pick him up once, now made sure he knelt down to receive those exuberant hugs instead.

Surely there was nothing wrong with that when his brother and friends had all found loved ones of their own?

Da-ge had two husbands, for goodness' sake! Even Master Lan had a wife!

In any case, HuaiSang cherished Mo XuanYu's sweet smiles and clingy embraces which always left an aching warmth in his chest. On the surface, it looked like a didi greeting a favourite gege, just like how HuaiSang used to greet his Da-ge when he returned from a trip. On the inside, HuaiSang knew it was different.

He found XuanYu going through Jin sword form exercises with MianMian in a private courtyard and stopped under the shade of a tree, fanning himself idly as he watched. XuanYu seemed taller, his form graceful and his feet steady as he thrust and parried. As soon as he turned to the side and saw HuaiSang, that look of concentration on his face broke into a wide smile.

"HuaiSang-ge!" Dropping his wooden sword, he made a beeline for him at once.

"Mo XuanYu, get back here!" MianMian shouted, only to be ignored.

"You're sweaty-" HuaiSang began, but dropped to his knees anyway to receive two armfuls of Mo XuanYu, warm and vibrant and smelling of life.

"When did you arrive? I've been waiting for you!"

"Just a few min-" HuaiSang broke off when petal soft lips pressed against his cheek. "A-Yu, d-did you just...?"

XuanYu pulled back just enough to look at him, cheeks even redder although that could have been from the exertion of the training.

"I like HuaiSang-ge," he stated.

"Well, I like you too, but you shouldn't kiss me."

"Not even on the cheek?"

HuaiSang pressed his lips together and forced himself to shake his head.

"No," he said firmly. "And let go, you're all sweaty!"

"But you smell so nice!" XuanYu tightened his arms around him and pushed his face into his neck to take a deep breath. Then he pulled back to look at him. "Do I smell bad?"

"No, of course you don't," HuaiSang replied at once.

"Then hug me back."

"I did."

"Tighter. Did you not eat any breakfast?"

"Brat! Who taught you tha-" HuaiSang broke off when XuanYu pressed another kiss to his cheek before reluctantly stepping back.

"Do you have a gift for me?"

HuaiSang huffed and rolled his eyes, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. Da-ge would be rolling on the ground if he could see them now since he used to be pestered for gifts too.

"Yes, I have." He removed a qiankun pouch from his sleeve and withdrew the silk folding fan he had painted himself two weeks ago.

"Another fan!" XuanYu took it in both hands and carefully spread it open, looking in delight at the two plump birds perched on a branch dotted with pink plum blossoms.

"Thank you, it's so pretty!"

"You're welcome." HuaiSang tried not to preen. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" XuanYu declared, still gazing at it with happy eyes. "Are the birds supposed to represent us?"

HuaiSang blinked, gaze falling on the fan. He hadn't realised he had painted them so close together, almost cuddling.

"I love it," XuanYu said and he looked very earnest all of a sudden. "And I love you."

The last four words, no louder than a whisper, sent a series of not unpleasant shivers skittering down HuaiSang's spine. He stared at XuanYu, mouth unattractively agape.

"A-Yu, you... you can't say things like that," he said feebly, eyes flicking to the none too patient looking MianMian, tapping her foot and thankfully out of earshot.

"Why not?"

"Be-because..." HuaiSang floundered. "Because you can't."

"But it's true. And you love me, don't you?"

"You're too young to know what love is," HuaiSang sidestepped the question.

"I do know," XuanYu insisted, shoulders squaring under his robe. "It's me being happy to see you and seeing you happy to see me. It's you giving me things that you bought yourself or made for me, and not getting someone else to buy them for you. It's you spending time with me even though you have to fly all the way here. It's you letting me hug you even when you're nice and clean and I'm not."

HuaiSang knew he was gaping at him again, but he couldn't help it.

"Who told you all that?" He demanded, wishing he didn't sound like he had just run all the way here from QingHe, not that he would have made it far past the gates before passing out.

XuanYu shrugged.

"No one."

HuaiSang didn't know if he should laugh or cry. Oh, the Gods were cruel, giving him one so beautiful and intelligent and affectionate, yet still only eleven years old.

"A-Yu..." he groaned and opened his eyes, looking around for the nearest tree for him to bash his head against. "What am I to do with you?"

XuanYu smiled, looking equal parts sad and hopeful, giving HuaiSang a dreadful pang in his chest.

"Promise you'll wait for me?"

It was the first time he had alluded to the bond between them. HuaiSang drew a shaky breath and nodded.

"I will. I'll be an old man by the time you're of age, but I'll wait."

What else could he do?

"Good. Can I kiss you again?"

"Wha-no!"

But Mo XuanYu being Mo XuanYu did just that, delivering a smacking kiss to his other cheek before spinning around and trotting back to MianMian, leaving HuaiSang to bemoan his fate.

- o -

A few days later...

Wei Ying didn't think he would ever get used to the serene beauty of the Cloud Recesses. He let his eyes wander slowly over the white, gravel-strewn ground in front of the Jingshi, to the tiny wooden gate about thirty feet away and the stand of trees after the path outside. It was still dark so he could only imagine the majestic mountains behind them, the multiple pathways winding around them, the clusters of buildings, the fields and the forests and of course, the growing number of rabbits in the nearby field.

All of it quiet and peaceful and wreathed in a fine mist. Even the white pebbles in front of him were wet with dew.

Wei Ying shivered, dressed only in a thin silk inner robe and trousers. It was already spring, but the early morning weather was still chilly. Of course, he could put on another robe, but nothing beat the feeling of being nicely chilled and then nipping back into bed and burrowing under the warm blankets once more.

Lan Zhan never minded his icy hands and feet and would sleepily pull him close and warm him with his body heat. He was always wonderfully warm, his powerful core making it possible for him to sleep in the nude if he wished. That seldom happened, of course. After making love, despite Wei Ying being as clingy as an octopus, Lan Zhan would inevitably get up to wipe them both clean, find Wei Ying's inner robe and hand it to him before wearing back his own. Then he would gather Wei Ying in his arms or place an arm around his shoulders should Wei Ying prefer to cuddle up with an arm and leg flung over him 'like a child'.

A gentle prickling warmth spread over Wei Ying's face. He found himself leaning against the door frame with a foolish smile on his face. Lan Zhan was truly the best - sweet and caring and passionate and loving and everything he could wish for in a best friend, soulmate and husband.

The breeze picked up just then and Wei Ying shivered again. He had felt wide awake an hour earlier, but now he was sleepy. He was about to get up when a soft chime echoed in the air, signaling it was five in the morning. Time for Lan Zhan and all good little Lans to wake up.

Right on cue, a soft rustle sounded from the bed.

"Wei Ying?"

Smiling, Wei Ying rose to his feet and slid the door shut.

"Don't get up just yet, Lan Zhan." He went over to the bed where a beloved and familiar silhouette was sitting up, the blankets pooling in his lap.

"I couldn't sleep earlier, but now I think I can," Wei Ying said. He got into bed and tucked his legs under the blankets, icy toes brushing against Lan Zhan's warm ones.

"You're cold." There was no reproach in those two words, just two equally warm hands guiding him to lie down and tucking him in against a strong chest. Lan Zhan placed his hands over Wei Ying's cold ones and trapped his cold feet between his muscled calves.

"Ahh," Wei Ying groaned in sheer bliss. "You feel deliciously warm, Lan Zhan. Stay like this for a while?"

"Mn. Until Wei Ying falls asleep."

Wei Ying could feel something promising against his buttocks but they both ignored it. Lan Zhan was a creature of habit and disliked having his schedule disrupted too much. In the early days of their marriage, he had succumbed to Wei Ying enticing him to make love in the morning, followed by a nap, only to get cranky upon waking up to find a good chunk of his day gone. After that, they decided to leave intimacy to after dinner or in the afternoons when Lan Zhan had a few hours off.

Now that Uncle QiRen was soon to be a father, he had come up with a schedule allowing the Twin Jades and himself to get one morning and one afternoon off a week each, barring any emergencies. When it was Lan Zhan's turn to have some time to himself, Uncle QiRen or ZeWu Jun would handle his sect leader duties.

The fact that all three had experience in leading a sect and teaching classes made the arrangement work well. Wei Ying and GuangYao were more than capable of taking over the junior classes. The result was that the young disciples soon had their favourites depending on whether they preferred a livelier class with an element of fun, or an analytical one with memory games thrown in.

Uncle QiRen and Aunt Sisi were content to stay in Cloud Recesses with brief visits to the other three Great Sects, but the Twin Jades and their husbands occasionally stretched their legs by going night hunting.

Wei Ying let out a contented sigh.

"Are you happy, Wei Ying?" came the soft rumble in his ear.

"Much, much happier than I've ever been. Love Lan Zhan," Wei Ying replied, eyelids drooping with sleep.

"Love Wei Ying."

And with that, Wei Ying drifted off to warm and happy dreams as the rest of Cloud Recesses awoke for another day.

- Story End -

A/N: And that's the end of this story! Thank you for reading! I'm happy to tick off the following - LQR and all four great sects accepting WWX, Wen survivors rescued, Stygian Tiger Seal destroyed, yin iron sealed away, JGS killed off after some suffering, JGY redeemed, NMJ countering qi deviation in an enjoyable way, A-Ling growing up with his parents, JC getting a happy ending, LQR and SS as well, NHS getting his in the future and WN having a more improved existence.

Thank you once again for sticking with this story and thank you to everyone who left reviews, you know who you are. Take care :)