Thirty-three hours hidden in a cave after leaving the battlefield, slightly darker and blood-soaked hands grabbed at his robes. The hands capturing his hair and ribbon gripping with a strength that belied his broken body. He bent down with his eyes slowly closing until their foreheads touched.
Thirty-three minutes later he lifted his hand the pressure had been enough that when he pulled away there were faint clouds on his soulmate's skin.
Thirty-three seconds later he heard "Get Lost" the last words out of Wei Ying's mouth as he stared blankly into the distance as a large group of cultivators came to end his life. Identical tears rolled down both of their faces as Bichen unsheathed itself unaided.
Thirty-Three Lan Cultivators and at least 60 from other clans were struck down in his attempt to protect the one he loved.
Thirty-three lashes of a whip against his back for his transgression.
Thirty-three hours after his punishment his brother came into the Jingshi with a look on his face that told him everything he needed to know. Lan Xichen's face hurt more than any amount of lashes he could ever get.
Thirty-Three years old when he heard their song come out of another instrument besides Wangi. The face was wrong, he was shorter, but his eyes, those silver eyes that he'd longed for were the same.
Thirty-Three months later they both wore red with a ribbon around their wrists making their final bow after the twenty-year love story that was WangXian.