Nevernight - where Wei Wuxian initiated the bloodbath following the death of Jiang Yanli, also known as Nightless City

guqin - a plucked seven-stringed instrument played by many GusuLan disciples

Lan er-gege - how Wei Wuxian poutingly addresses Lan Wangji, transliterated as 'second older brother Lan'

Without another word, Wei Wuxian left the uncle-nephew pair to find Lan Zhan.

As soon as he saw Lan Zhan, he threw himself into his arms and buried his face in his neck. He meant to seek comfort, but the whip scars on the back of Lan Zhan's neck was yet another cruel reminder everyone he loved was still suffering for the decisions he made a lifetime ago. Tears spilled uncontrollably into Lan Zhan's neck and onto his white robe.

Lan Zhan's arms wrapped around him. 'Do not blame yourself.'

'How can I not? I'm the one who crashed the pledge conference at Nevernight, I'm the reason Jiang Cheng has been so bitterly alone all these years, I'm the reason A-Ling grew up without his mother, I'm the reason you have the scars on your back…' Wei Wuxian choked.

The hand that stroked Wei Wuxian's back was gentle, but the words were firm. 'You are not responsible for the scars.'

It was a conversation they'd had many times. As much as Wei Wuxian had gotten better at moving on from his past, there were days he spent curled up in bed weighted down by equal parts guilt and self-hatred. Lan Zhan would remind him he did not alone bear the responsibility for the events of his past, and while that was true, he could not shake the knowledge things could have been different if he'd made better decisions. And he did alone bear the responsibility for the scars on Lan Zhan's back. It was something he and Lan Zhan would never agree on.

Lifting his face off Lan Zhan's neck, Wei Wuxian tilted his head up to look at him through tear-filled eyes. They'd been married for almost two years, but his heart had never stopped doing a little jump whenever he looked into those light jewels hidden under long black lashes. Lan Zhan was so beautiful he could weep for a different reason – and weep he did.

Without a word, Lan Zhan wiped the tears from his face. Cupping his face in his palm, Lan Zhan gently tilted Wei Wuxian's head towards him.

Warmth blossomed in Wei Wuxian's aching chest as Lan Zhan leaned in and kissed him. Soon, he was lost in the scent of cold sandalwood and the thud of their combined heartbeat. He kissed him back, parting his lips slightly to allow his tongue to slip inside.

When they finally parted, he was breathless.

-x-

Wei Wuxian woke to the deep, ethereal sound of the guqin.

He opened his eyes to find Lan Zhan sitting properly-as-ever by the desk, eyes closed as he poured his heart into the melody they both knew well. WangXian. Atop the desk was a closed jar, two bowls and two spoons.

Lan Zhan opened his eyes and glanced towards Wei Wuxian. Pretending to be asleep, Wei Wuxian watched through the slits of his eyes as Lan Zhan put away his guqin and opened the jar. The rich, savoury aroma wafted towards Wei Wuxian, instantly possessing him to roll out of bed towards Lan Zhan.

'Ow…' He had completely forgotten about his injuries. Luckily, he landed on his not-stabbed side.

Wordlessly, Lan Zhan scooped him up and tucked him back into bed in a seated position.

'Lan Zhan…'

Lan Zhan filled one of the bowls with soup, slid in a spoon, and handed it to Wei Wuxian. The bowl warmed his hands while the sight warmed his heart. Floating in the soup were pink slices of lotus roots and fleshy chunks of pork ribs.

The soup was seasoned just the way Wei Wuxian liked it. Lan Zhan must have remembered every word he said in that soup shop in Yunmeng months ago, when he described the ingredients for a perfect soup.

Lan Zhan was filling his own bowl. He asked, 'Do you like it?'

'It's perfect,' Wei Wuxian's voice shook with emotion, 'it's perfect. Lan Zhan… I love you so much… I don't know what I did to deserve a man like you… I love you so much.'

The cold sandalwood scent of Lan Zhan blended with the warm savoury aroma of the soup as he sat next to the bed. 'I love you,' Lan Zhan said, putting a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

'I love you so much,' Wei Wuxian continued to ramble with his mouth full, 'I love the way you say so few words but you remember every word I say, I love the way you…'

Having finished chewing the chunk of pork rib and ensured there was no food in his mouth, Lan Zhan said, 'speech is forbidden when dining.'

'Lan er-gege! Why are you like this?' Wei Wuxian pouted. Lan er-gege, I love the way you're like this.