the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break
by Rose Thorne
Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with The Untamed, and make no money writing fanfiction.
CW: Involves bugs as food.
Chapter Seventeen
The food is all delicious, though sometimes a bit spicy for his tastes. The Jiang siblings brought containers of jujube juice, along with a tea with lovely floral notes. Both are a treat on the Burial Mounds. He tries one of the silkworm pupae and finds the texture off-putting, and so transfers them from his plate to Wei Ying's.
His husband just smiles at him and eats them without complaint, popping them into his mouth like they're peanuts as he savors a container of lotus wine his brother brought specifically for him—though Wei Ying insists Uncle Four try it and tells him of coming up with the idea while enjoying wine from the natural cup of a lotus leaf.
Jiang Yanli sits and eats with them, occasionally moving bits from her plate to Wei Ying's, A-Yuan's, and even Jiang Wanyin's before getting up to refill her plate. She dotes on her siblings, refreshing their bowls of soup. She asks if she can get Lan Wangji anything when she does, and refreshes his soup as well.
When she brings out the mulberry millet pudding, Wei Ying almost groans, lamenting that it's not fair man was built with only one stomach with such delicious food to eat. Jiang Yanli giggles and shoves a spoon of pudding in his mouth like he's a baby who needs to be fed, to A-Yuan's delight.
"Me too, guma, me too!" the boy insists.
A-Yuan is further thrilled when she does as requested, holding out a spoon of pudding for him to eat.
It is the heartiest meal Lan Wangji has had since staying in the Burial Mounds, and possibly the loudest, conversation flying, Jiang Wanyin and Wei Ying trading embarrassing childhood stories like they're sparring with them, and laughter all around.
Eventually, though, it grows late enough that their guests must leave.
Lan Wangji does not notice when Jiang Wanyin pulls Wei Ying aside following the feast, distracted by A-Yuan, who is protesting going to bed by clinging to Jiang Yanli. He doesn't know it even happened until later—after he and popo convince the child he'll see his shushu and guma again soon, after Jiang Yanli gives Wen Ning a qiankun bag filled with all manner of foodstuff and Jiang Wanyin quietly pushes a stuffed money pouch into Wen Qing's hands, after he and Wei Ying walk his siblings out of the Burial Mounds.
Wei Ying is uncharacteristically quiet, watching their forms grow distant and ultimately disappear in the direction of town. It's only when they're out of sight that he sways, and Lan Wangji has only that warning before he collapses.
He's able to slow his descent to the ground, but Wei Ying's eyes are dull, almost hollow, still staring in the direction of town.
"They will return soon," Lan Wangji assures him.
He wishes he could ease the heartbreak his husband must be feeling over not being able to attend the wedding.
Unfortunately, he quickly learns his husband's emotional state has a different cause.
"He told me how he lost his core," Wei Ying says, his voice strained. "He said he was never going to tell me, that he didn't want me to… to blame myself or do something stupid."
Lan Wangji can imagine Jiang Wanyin saying those words exactly, and more, and he gathers Wei Ying into his arms. Whatever the Jiang sect leader told him has shaken him, because he clings like he's afraid to let go.
The halting story harkens back to the day after the fall of Lotus Pier, Jiang Yanli bedridden with fever, Jiang Wanyin catatonic in shock, and Wei Ying taking it upon himself to get medicine and food for them.
"I knew they were behind me. They were going to catch me," Wei Ying whispers against his chest. "And then there were shouts, and they ran away. But A-Cheng was gone when I got back to the room."
A sinking feeling fills Lan Wangji, and he knows what his husband will say before he says it.
"I thought he went back for Jiang-shushu and Yu-furen, for their bodies. But he was caught leading them away from me."
There's a dull shock in Wei Ying's voice, confusion, disbelief that he is worthy of that sacrifice—despite the fact that he sacrifices everything for others. Lan Wangji wishes he could strip away all his uncertainties about his worth, could replace them with the understanding that he is beloved.
The information also raises his estimate of Jiang Wanyin—he would have known Wen Chao would have had Wei Ying killed, and perhaps had hoped he would only be taken prisoner. But realistically he had done so without knowing if he would survive, putting his brother's life above his own.
He, like Wei Ying, had just lost his entire family, and he had chosen not to lose one of those remaining. Perhaps some part of Jiang Wanyin also knew he couldn't fault his brother for giving him his core in the belief that the other option was watching him die, not after his own sacrifice. There's a horrible reciprocity in what both of them did secretly.
But there is nothing Lan Wangji can say to his husband in this moment, nothing that will reach him—he seems to be in shock, unaware, as though his mind has simply shut down in his stress. He lifts him into his arms, starting back to the settlement. Wei Ying just slumps against his chest, eyes open but not taking anything in.
He's still so light, too light.
Wen Ning is the first to spot them.
"Is… is Wei-gongzi…?"
Wei Ying makes no indication he's heard.
"Shock. Please have Wen Qing come to the cave."
He is able to situate Wei Ying on the bed before they come in, and Wen Qing immediately takes stock, frowning in a way that shows her concern.
"He just collapsed?" she asks as she checks his meridians.
"En," he says, then hesitates before explaining what Jiang Wanyin had told his brother.
Wen Qing sits down heavily beside the bed, shocked herself and realizing there is nothing physical she can heal.
"Those fools, keeping secrets like that," she whispers, then wipes furiously at her eyes.
"J-Jie," Wen Ning chides her.
"They are fools, A-Ning. All these misunderstandings…"
"He apparently said he didn't tell him because he didn't want Wei Ying to blame himself," Lan Wangji says.
"But he did anyway! Just like he stupidly keeps blaming himself for Lotus Pier, when Wen Ruohan always planned to burn it!" she yells, almost panting in her rage.
He's never seen her so wound up before.
"Nie Mingjue is young and was seen as a lesser threat, and the Unclean Realm was still sacked. Jin Guangshan is a pig and a coward, which we all got a first-hand view of when he didn't deign to join the war until it was over, so he didn't bother with Lanling. He burned Cloud Recesses and Lotus Pier because both were powerful."
Wen Qing doesn't bother to wipe at her tears, looking angry and sullen even as her words are now in a measured tone.
"I've told him a dozen times, but he insists it's his fault still. And now he'll blame himself for this, too."
Lan Wangji abruptly realizes her tears are out of frustration. She, too, doesn't know what to do for Wei Ying, whose eyes are open and unseeing, who lies too-still on their bed.
Silence fills the cave for a bit, and she punches Wei Ying's arm lightly, as though trying to push him out of it. He doesn't react.
"You damn fool," she mutters bitterly. "You take on all the sins of the world like you're personally responsible for them. You're not a Pillar of Heaven, Wei Wuxian!"
She finally gets up and pulls a warming talisman from the stack on an outcropping near the tub, activating it and slapping it on, then tossing the sachet of herbs into the water.
"He might be out of it for a while. A soak might help—it was a long day, and he's likely in some pain, not that he'd tell anyone. A-Ning and I will brew some medicine."
Wen Ning stops her, holding her arms gently.
"J-Jie, tell me what to brew. You had a long… a long day, t-too. You need rest."
She only hesitates briefly, glancing at Wei Ying and then Lan Wangji, who nods his agreement with her brother. Then she nods and lets Wen Ning lead her from the alcove.
Lan Wangji feels frozen and inept, not knowing how to help his husband, but he forces himself to move and at least do what he can.
He is gentle, removing Wei Ying's belt and sliding it to rest, roughly folded, beside the bed, then untying and opening his outer and inner robes. His new inner robes are red, and he's reminded again of wedding robes.
Wei Ying shivers as the cool cave air hits his skin under the thin zhong yi, seeming to come back to himself a little.
"Lan Zhan?"
His voice is hoarse, and Lan Wangji reaches for the ewer of drinking water and pours a cup for him. Wei Ying blinks at it uncomprehendingly, and so he pulls him into his arms and holds it to his lips until he drinks.
It seems to help, his gaze growing less distant.
"Every day?" he asks.
Lan Wangji hesitates, feeling in some ways that it is wrong, with Wei Ying in something of an altered state. But it also might be what he needs, something he can do for him. Perhaps if he exhausts him beyond thinking, the agitation in his soul will settle. Perhaps it will help him feel how beloved he is.
"If you wish," he says softly.
A wan smile spreads across Wei Ying's face.
"Always," he murmurs. "Always, Lan Zhan."
[redacted]
When he comes back to himself, Wei Ying is limp in his lap, murmuring his name like a blessing. He turns him on his lap to kiss him lazily.
"So good," Wei Ying whispers, the words barely understandable. "Ah, Lan Zhan…"
"Relax," Lan Wangji tells him. "Hush."
He lifts Wei Ying in his arms and stands, moving to the still-hot bath and lowering him into it, helping him lean against the tub.
Lan Wangji cleans up the bed and discovers that Wei Ying's second orgasm hit the wall of the cave in two places, so he cleans those up as well. Much of the mess in the bed was caught by the new red inner robe, which will need to be washed and isn't for everyday wear, anyway, so he sets those aside with the rags he used on the wall. He spreads a cloth for drying on the bed in preparation for that stage.
When he returns to Wei Ying he's half-asleep in the tub and his face is dangerously close to the water line. After a moment of consideration, Lan Wangji decides the tub is large enough to fit both of them and gets in carefully.
This way, he is able to keep Wei Ying's head above water, but also wash the sweat and cum from both of their bodies.
He takes his time lathering each of Wei Ying's limbs, then rinsing them in the bath. When he lathers his chest and belly, Wei Ying stirs and murmurs something incomprehensible in a questioning tone.
"Rest. I will bathe you."
Wei Ying settles, though he's not certain he even heard. His mission has been accomplished—his husband is no longer trapped in his head, instead so sexually sated he can barely remain conscious, let alone think.
He finishes bathing him, then efficiently bathes the sweat from himself before pulling Wei Ying to him and lifting him from the tub as he stands.
As he dries Wei Ying, he begins to shiver lightly, and when he's finished he covers him with the blanket before drying himself.
He dresses in his zhong yi and inner robe for sleeping, but decides not to subject Wei Ying to trying to get into zhong yi. It's far easier to get him into a soft inner robe, though even that presents a challenge.
"Hang… Hanguang-Jun?"
Wen Ning's voice from the other side of the makeshift curtain catches his ear just as he's settling Wei Ying back on the bed, and he remembers the young man was going to make medicine.
He covers Wei Ying with a blanket so he won't get cold before he opens the curtains. Wen Ning offers him a bowl of medicine, still warm. He seems more nervous than usual.
"I d-didn't want to… to interrupt, b-but it was quiet for a while so…"
Lan Wangji realizes abruptly that he had forgotten to put up a silencing talisman—Wei Ying was normally the one to do it, but he'd been in no condition to think about it. He should feel bad about it, with how awkward it has made Wen Ning, but Wei Ying is no longer distressed, so it's hard for him to feel anything but a tired sense of accomplishment.
"Apologies. We will apologize for disturbing people's rest in the morning."
Wen Ning looks alarmed at that.
"I d-don't think that's necess… necessary. I'm the only one awake, and the others ate s-so much they should be sleep… sleeping deeply."
Lan Wangji nods, thankful for that reprieve, at least.
"I will go harvest m-more mulberries tonight, but I wanted to give Wei-g-gongzi his medicine first."
Wen Ning bows and attempts a smile, then leaves quickly enough that Lan Wangji realizes he was probably incredibly embarrassed at hearing them. Probably he should have apologized to him, but that will need to wait until morning.
He turns back toward Wei Ying, who seems to have fallen into at least a doze, completely limp beneath the blanket. He hates to wake him, but the medicine will only deepen his sleep, so he gently coaxes him into a half-awake state enough to swallow the contents of the bowl. Then he helps him drink water before easing him back onto the bed and joining him there.
Thankfully, he has exhausted himself as well, and so he's asleep, a languid and soundly-sleeping Wei Ying in his arms, almost immediately.
Tomorrow a red-faced Wen Qing will insist on installing more permanent silencing talismans in the cave, but this, too, will serve to distract Wei Ying via embarrassment, so Lan Wangji will have no regrets.
This is the redacted version that's safe for FFN. If you wish to read the full version, with explicit sexual content, you will need to read on AO3.
Poor Wei Wuxian has had a rough week, and this was just too much for him to deal with, so he just shut down.
Also, poor Wen Ning. The things he deals with.
My birthday was Wednesday.
