This is mostly CQL verse but I borrowed some elements from the novel. Our favourite cultivators elope right after the Guanyin Temple and move into the Jingshi but Lan Wangji is still the Chief Cultivator.
After the Guanyin Temple, mere weeks after entering seclusion in one of the deeper caves of Cloud Recesses, Lan Xichen found himself unwillingly dragged out of seclusion by none other than Lan Qiren, shufu , the Grandmaster himself.
As it turned out, Wangji had wasted no time before marrying Wei Wuxian. As Lan Qiren told it, Wangji had just barely been named Chief Cultivator when his first action was to take off with Wei Wuxian on Bichen and promptly disappear without warning. Had it been anyone else, their sudden disappearance would have been a major scandal. But it was the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-jun, and the cultivation world had just been turned upside down with Jin Guangyao's downfall, so barely anyone even noticed their impromptu disappearance and the disapproval of a handful of sect leaders barely registered.
Two weeks later, Lan Wangji had returned with a familiar red ribbon tied snugly around his wrist and dragging along a cheerful Wei Wuxian on his arm. An even more familiar white ribbon held up Wei Wuxian's hair.
While Lan Qiren and Lan Wangji had stepped inside the Yashi to discuss Wangji's recent behaviour, Xichen had been left alone with his new brother-in-law to wait in the Jingshi.
A heavy silence fell upon them.
It wasn't as though Xichen disliked Wei Wuxian, per se. He had found Wei Wuxian's endless energy and penchant for finding himself in trouble endearing at times. After all, he had actively encouraged and pushed for Wei Wuxian to befriend Wangji back when he was just a visiting disciple from Yunmeng Jiang. Even during the Sunshot Campaign, he hadn't actively discouraged Wangji from pining after Wei Wuxian. After Wangji told him of the Wen elders and children Wei Ying had taken with him into the Burial Mounds, Xichen still could not find it in him to fully denounce Wei Ying the way Lanling Jin and Qinghe Nie had. Even when Yunmeng Jiang turned against its former head disciple, Xichen and Gusu Lan officially maintained neutrality against the Yiling Patriarch. Xichen only disapproved of the Yiling Laozu's methods, not the ideology.
But then the slaughter at the Nightless City happened and Xichen could only watch helplessly as he found himself on opposing sides with his own brother. Xichen did his best to keep the Lan disciples far from where Wangji and Wei Wuxian were tearing through the battlefield, not wanting to force Wangji to make that kind of decision. (A part of him already knew who Wangji would choose and he selfishly didn't want to face that reality). Despite the distance, he saw Wei Wuxian throw himself off a cliff and the absolute grief on Lan Wangji's face when Wei Wuxian finally slipped out of Lan Wangji's bloodied fingers.
It was difficult to not hate Wei Ying as he watched Wangji in the aftermath of the Nightless City.
Still, Xichen did his best to push aside his feelings towards Wei Wuxian when he had returned for the sake of his brother. It became even harder to dislike Wei Wuxian after the truth about his golden core was revealed. Be righteous . Righteousness had been ingrained into each member of the Gusu Lan sect since birth; what else could such a selfless action be, to give away one's own golden core, other than the highest form of righteousness?
Yet, a part of Xichen struggled to forgive Wei Wuxian for all the suffering he brought upon Wangji.
So, in the absence of a pressing mystery to solve and without Wangji's presence, Xichen and Wei Wuxian found themselves sitting rather uncomfortably in the Jingshi. Xichen closed his eyes and prepared to settle his mind for meditation while Wei Wuxian fiddled with Chenqing and his new ribbon.
Wei Wuxian didn't see Xichen's eyes soften as he observed the tender way in which Wei Wuxian stroked his finger along the cloud embroidery on Wangji's forehead ribbon as he absentmindedly found comfort in the physical manifestation of Lan Wangji's love.
"Wangji is correct," Xichen said, opening his eyes after his failed attempt at meditation.
Wei Wuxian jumped at the unexpected speech but said nothing, hands fiddling with Chenqing's tassel.
"Wei Gong-zi is loud in everything that he does," Xichen continued when Wei Wuxian said nothing. It was odd, seeing Wei Wuxian have so little to say. "Wei Gong-zi has a loud presence."
"Ah. I. Apologize?" Wei Wuxian
"No need." Lan Xichen knew well enough of Wei Wuxian's endless ability to put his foot in his mouth at the most inopportune moments and silently commended Wei Wuxian's attempt to mollify his new brother-in-law. "Wangji sees no fault with it, and recent events have more than proven that Wangji is a superior judge of character than I."
A heavy silence settled between them again.
Wei Wuxian would rather be hit with Zidian than talk to Lan Xichen about the Guanyin Temple. The events of the Guanyin Temple were what exonerated and redeemed Wei Wuxian's reputation. The Guanyin Temple restored Wei Wuxian's life to him, but the Guanyin Temple ripped Lan Xichen's life apart.
So they were at a bit of an impasse.
A shuffling noise brushed past the entrance of the Jingshi as a pair of disciples swiftly passed by. The relief on Wei Wuxian's face from this distraction was palpable and Xichen was struck with a realization.
It wasn't that Wei Wuxian didn't have anything to say. Wei Wuxian had plenty to say and was quite literally vibrating with all that he wanted to say. But he didn't say any of it out of the fear that he might inadvertently offend or hurt Xichen.
Despite the unease in the room, and his own ongoing inner turmoil, Xichen smiled ever so slightly. Lan Qiren was a lost cause, but Wei Ying did care about Xichen's opinion because Wangji cared. For all his uncouth mannerisms, Wei Wuxian was and had always been far more perceptive than anyone (except Wangji) realized.
Xichen felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It was a subtle change, but Xichen noticed the relief he felt at this realization. It wasn't that Xichen had ever doubted Wei Ying loved his brother, but it was hard to believe Wei Ying deserved the sheer amount of love Wangji had for him and it was hard to believe Wei Ying loved Wangji equally knowing what Wei Wuxian had done to Wangji in a past life.
But here was a Wei Wuxian who desperately wanted Lan Xichen's approval just because Wangji still cared deeply for his brother's approval. Xichen knew Wangji well enough to know Wangji would never admit to any of this, and the sheer fact that Wei Wuxian could read Wangji well enough to realize this and care endeared him to Xichen greatly.
Unfortunately, this realization did nothing to ease the fraught tension in the Jingshi.
But, at least Lan Xichen was able to return to his seclusion slightly lighter than when he left.
As was to be expected, Wangji was a regular visitor during Xichen's seclusion. They rarely spoke these days - Wangji saved his words for his husband and Xichen had few words since the Guanyin Temple. Instead, their preferred method of communication was to converse through music.
It had been years since they last used music as a regular form of communication. Sixteen years ago, Wangji had been grieving and music was Xichen's last resort after his brother had been unresponsive to all interactions that did not involve A-Yuan. In a fit of desperation, Xichen had joined Wangji's Inquiry with Liebing. Somehow it had worked and with that tenuous connection they slowly began to heal the Wei Ying-sized rift that had come between them. Back then, Xichen had not been able to understand how Wangji's grief had nearly driven him to madness. Even as Wangji slammed Xichen with wave upon wave of soul crushing, unmitigated anguish through his guqin, Xichen could not fully comprehend the overwhelming sorrow that haunted Wangji down to his core.
Now, with the tables turned, Xichen still did not understand the full extent of his brother's grief but he did at least gain an understanding of a fraction of what Wangji must have felt. It wasn't that Xichen didn't love Jin Guangyao. He trusted - had trusted - A-Yao to have had his back whenever he needed it and he would have done the same in return. The love and loyalty of a sworn brother was not so easily forgotten, even after A-Yao's less than stellar deeds were revealed one after another. Even after the full extent of A-Yao's treachery became known, Xichen continued to reserve a place in his heart for his sworn brother. For both his fallen brothers. Yet, at times it felt cheap to call his relationship with Jin Guangyao or Nie Mingjue loving when he could see the love Wangji had for Wei Wuxian. Even though Wei Wuxian was never their topic of conversation, Xichen could feel his brother's love for Wei Ying in the undertone of every note. Wangji's love for Wei Wuxian was all-consuming and radiated out from every part of his being. Wei Wuxian's existence was loud, but Wangji's love was even louder. As much as he had loved his sworn brothers, Xichen's relationships with Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao contained barely a fraction of the kind of love Wangji had for Wei Ying.
Thinking back, Xichen shouldn't have been so surprised when his mid-morning meditation was interrupted by Wei Wuxian for whom rules of propriety was more suggestion than mandate.
"Sect Leader Lan," Wei Wuxian greeted somberly with a proper bow.
"I am in seclusion, Wei Gong-zi. I am no sect leader so there is no need for such formalities. We are brothers now." Xichen looked at Wei Ying neutrally, unsure why his unruly brother-in-law was here and not helping his brother prepare for the upcoming Roundtable Conference.
"About that..." Wei Ying said in a tone that invited trouble. "You're going to have to come out of seclusion."
"Pardon?" Lan Xichen had forgotten how blunt Wei Ying could be. Or, rather, he was unprepared for the tactful tactlessness Wei Wuxian utilised when he wanted something.
"Cloud Recesses is hosting the next Cultivation Conference. We need a Sect Leader. Certainly Lan Zhan is the best in the world, but even he can't represent Gusu Lan as both Sect Leader and Chief Cultivator. Imagine what ridiculous accusations Sect Leader Yao would come up with!"
Wei Ying's inclusion of himself as a part of the Gusu Lan didn't escape Xichen's notice.
Wei Ying's less than stellar appearance didn't escape Xichen either.
It wasn't obvious, and by no measure did Wei Ying look poorly, but Xichen did notice a heaviness in Wei Ying that hadn't been there the last time they spoke after he and Wangji eloped. It was a different heaviness from his time as the Yiling Laozu and unrelated to his cultivation. This heaviness was more akin to exhaustion.
Wangji had always been careful to never mention his husband, not wanting to hurt his brother with the reminder of his own happiness. Xichen certainly would not have minded if all Wangji talked about was Wei Ying, though he greatly appreciated Wangji's approach all the same. But, just as Wangji's love couldn't be contained, neither could his concern for his husband. It was a passing concern, and Xichen knew that if Wei Ying had been in any real danger Wangji would not have remained silent.
But, looking at Wei Ying now, Xichen could see the dark shadows under his eyes. While Wei Ying's presence had always been loud before, it had since been tempered down and replaced with exhaustion. Wangji had briefly mentioned Wei Ying's tendency towards nightmares after they fled Jinlin Tai, and Xichen suspected that tendency remained.
"Anyway," Wei Ying continued when Xichen remained silent, "I would have offered to stand in as either but can you imagine the scandal that would cause? The Yiling Laozu playing at the Chief Cultivator? Or better yet: the Yiling Laozu as the new Sect Leader of Gusu Lan? Half the Sect Leaders would go into qi derivation on the spot! Besides, I can't be dragging down Lan Zhan at these Conferences. I know Lan Zhan doesn't care for politics but even Hanguang-jun's reputation can only take so much."
Xichen rather disagreed that anything could tarnish Wangji's reputation now, nor did Wangji even care about his reputation, but he felt a flood of warmth towards Wei Ying for his concern.
"I understand Wei Gong-zi's concerns but I am not understanding why it is required that I leave my seclusion," Xichen said, staring at Wangji's ribbon in Wei Ying's hair. It was clearly tied by Wangji, with the bow tied in a careful butterfly and double knotted so that it would not come loose from Wei Ying's unpredictable movements. Wangji had since replaced his own forehead ribbon but continued to wear Wei Ying's red ribbon around his wrist. "Is Uncle unable to participate?" Xichen asked, concerned.
Wei Ying waved his concern away, "No, no, Old Man Lan is fine. Mostly. There was an incident with Jingyi last week which wasn't his fault, really, I mean how could Jingyi know that the book was cursed? I never knew Old Man Lan could move that fast but it didn't stop the book from knocking over a fountain and anyway he's fine but he's refusing to leave his secluded meditation for another week until his qi levels even out again."
"And the Elders?"
"Sect Leader Lan," Wei Ying gave Xichen a look that wasn't quite judgemental, but it certainly wasn't without judgement. "Would any of the elders do anything I asked of them?"
"Wangji can ask."
"Lan Zhan is too busy."
"Too busy to speak to our own Elders?"
"Yes?"
Unconvinced, Xichen simply looked at Wei Ying.
It wasn't long before Wei Ying caved.
"Okay! It's because Lan Zhan has been so busy and I wanted to do something useful beside just terrorizing the juniors, you know? I mean, I'm great at terrorizing the juniors and I have the best night hunting supervision record but that doesn't exactly help Lan Zhan, you know? So I volunteered to organize the entire conference so Lan Zhan could just focus on his talking points because he's doing all the hard work already! He's trying to make real changes that no one important wants but Lan Zhan is the best and the little border towns no one wants to remember deserve our protection too. But apparently these conferences take a lot more work to set up than one would think and I still haven't figured out how to arrange the seating so Jiang Cheng doesn't get in a fistfight with Sect Leader Yao again and Sect Leader Ouyang has to be near Lanling Jin and Gusu Lan so Zizhen don't get too lonely but Sect Leader Ouyang wants to be nowhere near me, and then I realized we're missing an actual representative but I can't ask Lan Zhan to do two jobs but the juniors are too young and no one else will do anything if I ask." It wasn't entirely clear if Wei Ying was still breathing at this point, but Xichen couldn't help but be impressed that Wei Ying had volunteered to single handedly organize an entire conference.
Xichen sighed and nodded. He shouldn't have expected any reason other than Wei Ying's love for Wangji.
Besides, it would give him a chance to slip some sleeping herbs to Wangji to give to Wei Ying.
"Zewu-jun!"
Once again, Lan Xichen found his late morning meditation interrupted by Wei Wuxian, who breezed his way into the cave with all the subtlety of a hurricane.
"Zewu-jun!" Wei Wuxian bowed respectfully before throwing himself in a kowtow at Lan Xichen's feet before Xichen could wrap his head around what was happening.
"Wei Gong-zi?" Xichen blinked at the sight before him, trying to understand what was happening. With his head bowed so low, Wei Wuxian's hair had moved to the side and revealed a splattering of dark love bites along the back of his neck that only Wangji could have left. Blushing at the implications, at the physical evidence of Wei Wuxian's nightly activities with his brother, Xichen quickly rushed to pull Wei Wuxian up from his kowtow.
"Wei Gong-zi, please, there is no need for such formalities between family." Xichen's hands gripped Wei Wuxian's upper arms, holding Wei Wuxian upright so he would not try to kowtow again.
"But Zewu-jun! I need your help!" Wei Wuxian wailed, his hands tightly gripping Xichen's forearms.
With Wei Wuxian upright, Xichen could see further love bites trailing down from just under Wei Wuxian's ear into the high collar of his robes.
Wangji , Xichen thought pleadingly, some discretion . There was no rule against displaying one's love, but there was one against debauchery. And, Xichen strongly suspected, once his uncle saw Wei Wuxian, there would be a new rule against leaving evidence of kisses.
Forcing his eyes to focus on Wei Wuxian's face, and directing his mind to focus on the situation at hand, Xichen spoke. "Wei Gong-zi, are we not at peace? There are no events scheduled for the new few months. Why such urgency?"
Wei Wuxian's eyes were wide and desperate. "But Zewu-jun! Lan Zhan's birthday is coming soon and I don't have a gift!"
Xichen blinked. "Is Wangji's birthday not several months away?"
"Yes, but his gift needs to be perfect!"
Xichen would have liked to move this conversation to the table where they could talk over tea. However, Wei Wuxian was leaning heavily enough that Xichen suspected that if he loosened his grip the slightest bit, Wei Wuxian would return to kowtowing.
"Wei Wuxian, I don't understand. Wangji views your presence as the greatest gift. There is no need to give unnecessary material goods."
"But Zewu-jun! You don't understand!" Wei Wuxian's grip on Xichen's forearms was growing tighter and tighter. If this went on much longer, Xichen suspected he would find handprint shaped bruises on his arms. "Lan Zhan is so good to me! My gifts will never be good enough and I can't match up to what Lan Zhan will give me without your help."
Confused, Xichen tried to push Wei Wuxian's body upright. "But Wei Gong-zi, you have given Wangji many excellent gifts in the past. He enjoys his rabbits immensely and they bring him much joy, you left him Lan Sizhui for a gift and watching Sizhui's growth was Wangji's sole purpose to live for a long time, and you have now given him your heart."
"Zewu-jun, you don't understand! Lan Zhani gives me little things everyday. He cooks all my meals just for me so I can enjoy every meal! He learned how to use spices for me! He hides Emperor's Smile in the jingshi so I can have it whenever I want and he's the one who raised Sizhui into a perfect son! He lets me sleep in and brushes my hair and Lan Zhan is perfect. Lan Zhan even wrote a song just for me! Zewu-jun, I have no money and have nothing to offer him!"
Wei Wuxian looked as though he was about to burst into tears with how much Wangji loved him and Xichen couldn't decide whether to feel joy at how dedicated Wangji and his husband were to each other, or to immediately soothe Wei Wuxian before he actually cried. But, with Wei Wuxian so close, Xichen also noted with satisfaction that the dark bags under Wei Wuxian's eyes from the last time he had seen him had faded greatly.
"Wei Gong-zi," Xichen said slowly, carefully, trying to pacify Wei Wuxian. "Did you know, Wangji has kept every gift you've ever given him? Every scrap of paper, every sketch, even the flower from Baifeng Mountain he keeps."
"Of course! But Zewu-jun those are such little things."
"Wei Gong-zi, you must know that Wangji will treasure any gift you present him with." Xichen smiled, trying to pacify his brother-in-law.
"I know," Wei Wuxian looked down, though he no longer leaned so heavily on Xichen's arms. "Which is why I need to do something Lan Zhan will actually enjoy. I don't want him to keep something he hates just because I gave it to him."
Xichen remained silent for a moment, thinking. He let his hands release Wei Wuxian as he was no longer at risk of being kowtowed to. "My brother," Xichen said, softly, thoughtfully, "he is a man of action, not substance. A gift need not be big, but Wangji will understand the intention behind it. Wangji has always enjoyed your paintings, and has always appreciated your penchant for creativity. I cannot tell you what to give, but I believe Wei Gong-zi will find the adequate gift for Wangji."
For a long moment, Wei Wuxian was silent, thinking through Xichen's words. He was quiet long enough for Xichen to almost return to his meditation when Wei Wuxian recovered.
"I understand now! Thank you Zewu-jun!"
Cheerful, Wei Wuxian raised his hands above his head. Xichen stared, confused, for half a second before he realized what Wei Wuxian was about to do.
Horrified, Lan Xichen was almost yelling. "No, Wei Wuxian! Please, stop! We are family now! You need not kowtow to family!"
In the end, Lan Xichen didn't remain in seclusion for very long.
He did return to seclusion after the conference which, despite being organized primarily by Wei Wuxian, had gone perfectly smoothly. (Secretly, Xichen thought the conference went smoothly precisely because it had been organized by Wei Wuxian.) No fistfights broke out, no new rivalries came to light, no extramarital affairs took place, and no one left horribly dissatisfied with the implemented changes. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying had convinced all the sects to contribute to a collective fund to support activities for poorer villages that couldn't afford to hire a cultivator but required their services and to build a series of schools to educate promising young cultivators who were no longer connected to a sect. But a year after the Guanyin Temple, he was rather forcibly encouraged to return to his position and duties by Wei Wuxian.
Not by Wei Wuxian directly. Wei Wuxian himself had very little to do with actually leaving seclusion, but it was because of Wei Wuxian that Xichen ended his seclusion so soon.
In a classic Wei Wuxian move, he managed to break three ribs, a hip, receive a nasty wolf bite on his thigh, and enjoy some internal bleeding after taking a group of junior disciples from Gusu Lan and Lanling Jin on a night hunt.
What happened was this: Wei Wuxian was standing on a tree branch, observing the juniors from above as they took down a standard beast. The night hunt went smoothly. No injuries, and no one cried. Jingyi and Jin Ling even managed to avoid getting into a shouting match. The problem was a stray dog. No one ever saw the dog, but Wei Wuxian very much heard the dog bark and, in his panic, fell off the branch he was standing on.
Certainly, that was far from the first tree Wei Wuxian had fallen out of. Hanguang-jun would not have punished the juniors, though it would certainly feel like a punishment when Hanguang-jun inevitably levelled his disappointed glare upon them for allowing Wei Wuxian to be careless and get bruised. But, it was nothing out of the ordinary. And really, it shouldn't have been a problem except that the tree was near a cliff. It wasn't a steep cliff and Hanguang-jun may have just assigned the juniors with undesirable chores for a couple days to make a point, but there was a rocky patch where Wei Wuxian landed. Some especially jagged rocks left deep scrapes and minor lacerations along Wei Wuxian's arms and hands and the impact broke a few bones. And perhaps the juniors could still have avoided a severe punishment since it was Wei Wuxian's fault for climbing up a tree so close to a cliff. But, naturally the rocks were not the only things waiting at the bottom of a cliff. A wild wolf had wandered into the area to investigate the new sounds, which set off Wei Wuxian's terror, which in turn alarmed the wolf. No one saw what happened exactly, but everyone heard Wei Wuxian's screams as he ran away, in spite of his injuries, and the wolf's snarls as it chased Wei Wuxian.
Hanguang-jun found Wei Wuxian before the juniors did.
"So," Xichen asked Sizhui as they stood outside the Jingshi after Sizhui recounted the events that had transpired, "what happened to the juniors Wei Wuxian was supervising?"
"Jingyi sent a signal to Hanguang-jun as soon as Senior Wei slipped from the tree." Sizhui had not been on this night hunt, having been relegated to the task of teaching the youngest disciples the basics of qin playing while the regular instructor was recovering from a broken finger.
"And where is Lan Jingyi now?"
"Copying five hundred sets of the rules under the supervision of Grandmaster Lan."
"Handstands?"
Sizhui nodded. "Hanguang-jun was not pleased."
If he had any less self-discipline, Xichen would have sighed. It wasn't like Wangji to lash out at their junior disciples over Wei Wuxian's actions.
Having been raised by the reserved Hanguang-jun, Sizhui recognized the disapproving look on Xichen's face and quickly added, "Ah, Zewu-jun, Jingyi chose the location due to a bet with Sect Leader Jin over whether wolves were similar enough to dogs to scare Senior Wei. The other junior disciples were told to copy the rules just eight times and to write a letter of appreciation to Senior Wei."
The incident occurred a week ago but Wei Wuxian was recovering slowly due to his lack of spiritual energy to expedite the healing process, and because an infection had set in that had just barely been kept at bay by Wangji giving Wei Wuxian his own spiritual energy for hours each day. With Wei Ying so severely injured, Wangji was hovering at his bedside. Much of his work as Chief Cultivator was reading and responding to documents, but it was difficult to be both Chief Cultivator and Sect Leader while attending full time to an uncooperative patient. And so, Xichen was forced to come out of seclusion and return as Sect Leader.
When Sizhui and Xichen entered the Jingshi, they found Wei Ying lying miserably in bed. Most of his body was hidden under their blanket, but his forearms were visibly wrapped in thick bandages. Wangji was sitting at his side in bed, back against the headboard, perched carefully beside Wei Ying, careful not to jostle his injuries. A flash of red could be seen under his sleeve when Wangji shifted his arm.
"My perfect night hunting record," Wei Ying lamented, poking at Wangji's side. "Lan Zhan~"
"Shhh," Wangji hummed. He set aside the document he had been reading and looked down at Wei Ying. "Rest."
Wei Ying opened his mouth to protest but Wangji interrupted him by gently stroking Wei Ying's face and affectionately patting his cheeks.
"Wei Ying must be more careful," Wangji said, leaning down to pepper Wei Ying's forehead with kisses.
"Wangji is correct," Xichen said.
Wei Wuxian turned his head in surprise, but Wangji simply looked up and nodded his acknowledgement. "Xiongzhang."
"Xian-gege," Sizhui rushed to kneel at Wei Wuxian's bedside, dropping the honorifics in the privacy of the jingshi. "How are you?"
"A-Yuan, what a good child, asking after his seniors. Look Lan Zhan, what a wonderful child you raised!"
"We raised," Wangji corrected instinctively. Turning to Sizhui, Wangji said, "Wei Ying's fever broke this morning. Wei Ying will make a full recovery as long as he listens to the doctor and rests."
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian whined, "I'm hungry."
"You ate less than an hour ago." An outsider may have thought Lan Wangji was reasoning with his husband, but Xichen knew Wangji would do whatever Wei Wuxian requested of him, no matter how ridiculous.
"A-Zhan~" Wei Wuxian gingerly reached for Wangji's hand. When he found it, Wangji clasped their fingers together, stroking his thumb along the back of Wei Wuxian's hand. For someone as terrified of dogs as Wei Wuxian, he certainly had the Puppy Eyes™ perfected as he looked up at Lan Wangji with pure, unfiltered adoration.
"If Wei Ying wishes," Wangji said, bringing Wei Wuxian's hand to his mouth and trailing a line of kisses down his wrist as if they were alone. "I will cook for Wei Ying." In a fluid moment, Lan Wangji stood from their bed. Bending down, he rearranged their blankets so Wei Wuxian would be warm and comfortable without him and pressed a kiss to Wei Ying's forehead. "Be good."
"Hurry back!" Wei Ying waved cutely at Wangji.
"Mn." Xichen could see Wangji smiling.
Bowing at his brother, Wangji was about to apologize for not immediately addressing Xichen but Xichen waved Wangji off. "Wangji, I believe your husband is waiting," he said teasingly.
With a nod, Wangji swept out of the jingshi.
"Ah, I will join you," Sizhui rose to his feet and scurried after Wangji. "May we check on Jingyi on our way to the kitchens as well?"
Left alone with his brother-in-law, Xichen took a seat on the chair Wangji had set by their bed for the doctor.
Taking a cursory glance around the Jingshi to see what changes had been made in the year since he entered seclusion, he found evidence of Wei Wuxian everywhere. While outwardly as immaculate as ever, Xichen could see piles of half finished talismans and books stacked unevenly on Wangji's work desk. The closet door was opened with the slightest crack, but Xichen could see the dark robes Wei Wuxian preferred neatly lined up beside Wangji's white Gusu Lan robes. On the bookshelf, Xichen would see where Wei Wuxian had added to Wangji's collection of books, as well as little trinkets lining the shelves. Mostly, they were little bunnies carved from jade, wood, or bronze. Wangji once considered such items as superfluous, but they made Wei Ying happy and thus became a necessity.
In particular, Xichen found his eyes drawn to the large painting hanging on the wall of the Jingshi directly across the door where everyone would see when they entered. It was a family portrait of Wangji, Wei Wuxian, and Sizhui with their instruments in the back hills surrounded by Wangji's bunnies. Lil' Apple was in the background, munching on an apple. Xichen recognized the brushwork to be Wei Wuxian's, having seen his doodles as a guest disciple many years earlier.
Xichen was also pleased to note that the dark bags that had lined Wei Wuxian's eyes before the conference had faded even more and that the bundle of herbs he had given to Wangji sat on their bedside table, clearly used. Several other medicinal pouches had joined it; Xichen recognized several mild anesthetics and spirit cleansing herbs.
"Xichen-gege," Wei Wuxian said. It had been less noticeable when speaking to Wangji, but Wei Wuxian's words were slightly slurred as though he wasn't fully coherent. Glancing at all the medicinal pouches by their bed, Xichen guessed Wei Wuxian was still in a fair amount of pain. Though he had never explicitly given Wei Wuxian permission to address him so informally, Xichen found that he liked the familiarity.
"Xichen-gege," Wei Wuxian repeated, with a hint of urgency.
"Yes, Young Master Wei?"
"Da ge," Wei Wuxian said, eyes glazed over with happiness, "isn't Lan Zhan the best? Lan Zhan is so good to me."
Amused, Xichen decided to play along Wei Wuxian's antics. Xichen nodded, "Wangji is indeed excellent."
"Lan Zhan is the best at cooking. A-Zhan is perfect at everything. His arms are so strong and he holds me so well and Da ge, did you know Lan Zhan is ticklish in the crook of his elbow? I found out by accident and I'm the only one who knows so don't tell anyone!" Wei Wuxian was babbling and Xichen felt his heart warm at how much sheer, unadulterated adoration and love was radiating off of his brother-in-law.
Perhaps this should have been an uncomfortable discussion to partake in, but Xichen found he didn't mind watching Wei Wuxian profess his love for Wangji. Their feelings were not a secret and Xichen found joy in the knowledge that his judgement of Wei Wuxian as a good friend for Wangji to have was at least correct. Having been witness to their shameless confession to each other in the Guanyin Temple, such innocent declarations of Wei Wuxian's love simply filled Xichen with warmth.
"Da ge, da ge! Are you listening? Did you know Lan Zhan once gave me chickens he stole? He even vandalised property! What a bad influence Hanguang-jun is! But I still love my A-Zhan because he did it just for me. But only for me! He can't steal chickens for anyone else!"
Lan Xichen was rather dubious of the assertion that Wangji would ever commit such a petty crime, but he had also long since learned that there was no length Wangji would not go to for Wei Wuxian. "Did you enjoy the chickens?"
Wei Wuxian pouted but his tone remained bright. "I had to put them back but I'm sure Lan Zhan would give me more if I wanted. They could make friends with the bunnies. And Lil' Apple! Da ge, I liked the chickens so much because Lan Zhan gave them to me. I like anything A-Zhan gives me."
For a long time, Lan Xichen had been unable to hear, or even think, of the word da ge without hurting as it had become a reminder of how they, how he himself , had failed Nie Mingjue, but Xichen found that he rather enjoyed being called da ge by his brother-in-law. The direct Lan family had never been big, but Wei Wuxian was an excellent addition no matter what their uncle thought.
Lan Xichen had never liked Jinlin Tai. Under Jin Guangshan, under Jin Guangyao, and even now under Jin Ling, Jinlin Tai had only ever been an ostentatious display of wealth that Lan Xichen had never been comfortable with.
It was Sect Leader Jin's birthday and his advisors wanted to throw a massive party to celebrate while conspicuously reminding everyone that despite the dishonourable actions of their previous two Sect Leaders, they were still unbelievably wealthy and incredibly powerful.
Having rediscovered his footing as Lan Sect Leader, Xichen found that he had become more aware of those around him. He had never been unobservant, given the reserved nature of his own brother, but Xichen was finding his observational capacity beginning to spill into the territory of being overaware. This awareness largely manifested itself in the less generous observations of pettiness around him. When Gusu Lan had arrived, Xichen noticed how Sect Leader looked at Wangji with absolute terror and immediately continued apologizing profusely to Wangji for his role in the disasterous nighthunt from two months earlier, and to Wei Wuxian for not understanding wolves were dogs but worse. During the banquet, he noticed how Sect Leader Sima made unbecoming advances towards the daughter of Sect Leader Zhao, how Jin Chan and a small group of Jin disciples mockingly laughed at each word said by Jin Ling, how Sect Leader Jiang and Wangji were very obviously avoiding looking at each other, and he couldn't help the distaste he continued to feel towards Moling Su, a feeling which Wangji felt even more strongly. Xichen also noticed that Moling Su had been excluded from most cross-sect activities and that Lanling Jin had invited them to their leader's birthday banquet as a reminder of their irrelevance. They could come to a birthday banquet and bear gifts, but they could not participate in any activities of value.
He also noticed how Wei Wuxian's eyes filled with tears when Sect Leader Jin was introduced with his courtesy name for the first time, and he noticed how Wangji immediately reached over to hold Wei Wuxian's hand when it happened.
When it had begun raining outside, Xichen noticed how Wei Wuxian melded even closer into Wangji's side as Wangji gave Wei Wuxian increasingly concerned looks.
He noticed that two hours into the banquet, once the dinner had shifted into a open socialization period, that Wei Wuxian would rub his waist in discomfort. This was the same hip that had been broken a couple months ago during that unfortunate night hunt Wangji was still upset with Jingyi and Jin Ling over. It would be improper for Wangji to blatantly hold his husband's waist, but Xichen could see how Wangji would discreetly give Wei Wuxian some spiritual energy throughout the night to ease the pain.
While Wangji and Sect Leader Jiang were blatantly avoiding each others' paths and firmly standing on opposite sides of the room, Lan Xichen noticed that Wei Wuxian had slipped away from the banquet entirely after speaking briefly to Sect Leader Jin.
Wangji approached Xichen shortly after making this observation. "Xiongzhang." Wangji bowed. Wei Wuxian's red ribbon flickered from under Wangji's long sleeves as he raised his arms.
"Wangji," Xichen bowed in response, "Where is Xiao Wei?"
"Wei Ying is not feeling well." Although the response is deadpan and diplomatic, Xichen can see the tension and concern in his brother's eyes even though it would be a grave insult to Lanling Jin for the Chief Cultivator to leave early.
However, as the Lan Sect Leader who is participating in his first event since recently leaving seclusion... "My apologies to the Chief Cultivator," Xichen says, bowing again to his brother, "this Sect Leader must also excuse himself."
Wangji knows exactly what his brother is doing, and Xichen can see some of the tension ease from Wangji's eyes.
It is raining harder than expected when Xichen steps outside, but the wide eaves of the Jinlin Tai roofs keep him dry.
The Lan entourage has been given adjacent rooms and Xichen finds himself stopping in front of Wangji and Wei Wuxian's room. The unexpected silence behind the door gives him pause, but Xichen knocks on the door anyway.
The door opens to show a dishevelled Wei Wuxian who has exchanged his formal robes for a simple inner robe that Xichen suspects belongs to Wangji and an outer robe that definitely belongs to Wangji. The clothing hangs loosely off Wei Wuxian's lean frame. Wei Wuxian's hair is flowing loosely down his back, the elaborate pins and headpieces Wangji has painstakingly combed into his hair earlier now abandoned on the dresser. Wangji's ribbon is in Wei Wuxian's hand, his fingers stroking the impeccable cloud embroidery.
"Wangji was worried about you," Xichen says, stepping into the room.
Wei Wuxian steps back to sit at the low tea table, vaguely gesturing for Xichen to join him. "Did Lan Zhan send you?"
"You could say that," Xichen says, kneeling as Wei Wuxian pours them tea. He notices how Wei Wuxian's legs are not crossed properly as they had been during the banquet. One leg is sticking out to the side, slightly bent at the knee.
"Of course," Wei Wuxian gives a self-deprecating smile as he passes Xichen his tea. "You can tell Lan Zhan I'm fine."
The tea is still hot, but Xichen takes a sip anyway. "I am also concerned for my brother-in-law."
Wei Wuxian doesn't look surprised, but Xichen notices how Wei Wuxian looks down at his own cup.
When Wei Wuxian says nothing, Xichen continues, "Is your injury still bothering you?"
Xichen can see Wei Wuxian about to spew empty reassurances and stops him before he can begin. "I am not as astute as Wangji," Xichen says, setting down his cup, "nor am I as well-read in your body language as Wangji, but it is clear to me that you have been in discomfort all evening."
"Ah," Wei Wuxian's hands clench at his borrowed robes, pulling the fabric tighter around himself in a poor mimicry of Lan Zhan's arms around him. "It is…" Wei Wuxian pauses for a moment to think, perhaps to contemplate how candid he should be. "I am still sore. My leg doesn't appreciate being folded for long periods of time. Dogs bite harder than you think, you know."
"And your hip?" Xichen inquires gently, knowing that for all Wei Wuxian likes to complain about petty annoyances and minor inconveniences, Wei Wuxian's internal conflicts are as closed off as Wangji's are, if not more.
Wei Wuxian shrugs almost casually, although Xichen can see Wei Wuxian shifting his weight. Smiling vacuously, Wei Wuxian says, "I thought the doctor was exaggerating when she said it takes upwards of six months for non-cultivators to recover from broken bones. It's been over two months but it still hurts to stand or sit for too long."
"You are recovering well, regardless."
"It is strange to be reminded of your own mortality," Wei Wuxian says mirthlessly. "Isn't it funny? I literally died and came back to life and almost had my soul destroyed but it's a stupid tree that actually shoves vulnerability at my face. That, and Jingyi making stupid bets with Jin Ling."
Though the words are almost bitter, Xichen can hear the underlying affection Wei Wuxian has for his wayward juniors.
"Jingyi is very sorry," Xichen says diplomatically, humour dancing across his features. He notices how Wei Wuxian's cup is empty and reaches for the teapot to refill both their cups.
Nodding his thanks, Wei Wuxian pours the tea down his throat. "I should be too young for this, all these pains and aches. My heart can't take all this stress. Lan Zhan is the worst, saying the most embarrassing things! And all so genuine! I need warnings before Lan Zhan speaks because my heart really can't take it! Honestly, that Jin Ling must be sneaking off with Lan Zhan behind my back. Where else could be have learned to pull off that trick with his courtesy name?"
Wei Wuxian complaining about Lan Zhan's declarations of love are a staple in every conversation and never fails to entertain Xichen. Wangji is exceedingly over the top in his expressions of love, but so is Wei Wuxian and it fills Xichen with warmth when he sees how happy his brother is. But, Xichen also hears how Wei Wuxian stumbles over courtesy name . He sips at his tea again, waiting for Wei Wuxian to continue.
And he does, after finishing off his tea. While Xichen refills Wei Wuxian's cup, Wei Wuxian speaks.
"You know, Xichen-gege, I was the one who gave Jin Rulan his name."
Surprise flickers across Xichen's face; his eyes widen but he says nothing because Wei Wuxian has more to say.
"Jiang Cheng made fun of me for choosing Rulan. Because lan . I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. There wasn't much I could think about with what little of me was left from the resentful energy, but lan just sounded pretty and I guess I loved Lan Zhan before I ever understood what that kind of love was. Jin Ling hated it though, and who can blame him? He says it's too feminine but we all know it's because I chose it." Wei Wuxian isn't crying, but his eyes are watery in the candlelight.
Xichen hates it.
A sad Wei Ying makes a sad Wangji but in his heart, Xichen knows that Wei Wuxian is not someone who is meant to be sad.
"Regardless, it seems that Sect Leader Jin has accepted you as his uncle."
Wei Wuxian turns those watery eyes toward Xichen and Xichen's heart clenches. "That doesn't make me not responsible for shijie's death. Or Jin Zixuan."
Xichen isn't quite sure what to say, and he sips his tea so he can think about what he can say when a flash of lightning streaks the room with light. The subsequent clap of thunder causes Wei Wuxian to flinch. Not by much - the cup into his hands does not spill over his fingers - but it is disturbingly clear exactly what Wei Wuxian thinks of the weather.
"Wei Wuxian?" Xichen reaches out when Wei Wuxian says nothing.
"Ah, sorry, sorry," Wei Wuxian rushes to apologize, plastering an empty smile on his face. "I just don't like storms very much."
"Childhood fear?" Xichen asks. Friendly as he is with his brother-in-law, there are times when Xichen is strikingly aware of how little of Wei Wuxian's life he actually knows. He does not understand why Wei Wuxian fears dogs, or why Wangji has strictly designated one field for kite flying where Wei Wuxian will never see the juniors and youngest disciples play.
Shaking his head, Wei Wuxian sets his tea cup back down. His expression is carefully blank, but Xichen can see the slight tremble of his fingers. "Not exactly."
When Wei Wuxian drifts off, Xichen tries to pull him back into the present. "Wei Ying?"
Wei Wuxian's eyes flicker up in surprise; Xichen has never used his given name before even though they are family now. "Ah, sorry. A lot of my worst memories happened in a storm. And it's so cold and wet!"
The last part is so blatantly tacked on in an attempt to minimize how much of himself Wei Wuxian is offering but Xichen suddenly realizes how Wangji meticulously schedules nighthunts that Wei Wuxian supervises on days that will not rain, how Wangji played melancholy music during rainy days during Xichen's seclusion, and how Wei Wuxian is the most tired after a rainy night.
"It is okay to dislike the rain," Xichen says, after a long silence. Wei Wuxian has lost his empty smile and his eyes are still watery as he wraps Wangji's robes even tighter around himself. "I find it difficult to be in the Cold Springs Cave, in spite of the sacredness of Lan Yi's cave. We cannot control the associations we create between our feelings and our circumstances and should not blame ourselves for such perceived weaknesses. The blame is not ours to bear."
Their tea is now lukewarm, but Xichen refills his cup anyway. Wei Ying's cup is still full, though the tea is now cold. Sipping at his tea, Xichen sees how the tension lessens ever so slightly from Wei Ying's shoulders and his grasp on Wangji's robe is no longer at risk of ripping the fine fabric. Wangji's ribbon is still draped over Wei Ying's hand and Wei Ying is running his fingers over the detailed needlework for comfort, to ground himself.
Wei Wuxian sits in quiet contemplation as Lan Xichen adds, "Rulan is an excellent name. I believe Sect Leader Jin has grown into it quite well."
With a watery smile, Wei Wuxian looks back up at Xichen. "Thank you, da ge," Wei Ying pauses momentarily before adding, "and I'm sorry."
Xichen smiles gently. "We are family, Xiao Wei. Gusu Lan takes care of our own, even from ourselves and our own melancholies. There is nothing to be sorry for."
The first problem was that Lan Zhan was gone for the week on a diplomatic trip to Yunmeng Jiang. The second problem was that Lan Zhan had taken Sizhui and Jingyi with him.
The third problem, and most pressing, was that Lan Zhan had left Wei Ying behind in Cloud Recesses. Alone. With neither husband nor son. Not even Wen Ning was nearby, having gone off night hunting with a band of open-minded rogue cultivators he had met in Caiyi Town.
It wasn't that Wei Ying was bitter at having been left behind, exactly. He wasn't not bitter, but it wasn't as if he had been drinking vinegar.
"Can you believe it!" Wei Wuxian wasn't yelling, really. His voice was a few decibel levels above what was normal for him, but it was Cloud Recesses, most of the junior disciples were in class while the senior disciples were meditating, and Wei Wuxian might as well have been screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs at midnight with the looks he was receiving from the Lan Elders he passed. "Lan Er Gege abandoned me here! My husband gets to go off gallivanting around Lotus Pier with our son while I have been forsaken!"
Wei Wuxian carried several haphazardly balanced bundles of vegetables and apples as he made way to the back mountain. As usual, Wangji's ribbon was tied securely in Wei Wuxian's hair. The silky tails of the ribbon fluttered behind Wei Wuxian, carried by the breeze.
Xichen stayed several paces behind Wei Wuxian, carrying his own treats for the rabbits in baskets and smiling neutrally at the passing Elders to placate them.
"Lan Zhan and A-Yuan can't even enjoy the food! They'll walk past all the vendors, all the wonderful scents and spices and not realize what they're missing!"
Silently, Xichen noted that Wangji's spice tolerance had increased rather significantly after nearly two years of marriage to Wei Wuxian.
"Lan Zhan can't even stand Jiang Cheng! I had to stop Lan Zhan from pulling Bichen on Jiang Cheng at the last Cultivation Conference! Me! The Yiling Patriarch! I had to be the voice of reason!" Wei Ying raged as he aggressively stomped towards Wangji's rabbit enclosure.
One head of cabbage tumbled out of Wei Wuxian's arms. Wei Wuxian didn't notice and simply continued his rampage into the rabbits. Without a break in his step, Xichen gracefully scooped the wayward vegetable from the ground and followed his brother-in-law into the rabbits.
Carefully, he placed the basket on the ground and checked to see if there was any risk of squishing a rabbit before sitting himself down in the grass. Wei Ying had done nothing of the sort, having simply dove directly onto the ground. Any unsuspecting rabbits would know to race out of the way in time. Chaotic as he was, the rabbits had long since become accustomed to Wei Wuxian's brand of chaos.
And they knew he came with treats.
With rabbits perched on his torso and nibbling at the bok choy they had brought, Wei Ying turned to Xichen with a thoughtful look.
"Da ge," Wei Ying said, eyes downcast and morose even as he lay on his back, "what do you think would have happened to your relationship with Lan Zhan if he had stayed with me in the Burial Mounds?"
Startled, Xichen looked at Wei Ying. "Why do you ask?"
As Xichen watched, Wei Ying didn't say anything at first. He fed the rabbits on his chest two more leaves of bok choy before turning back to Xichen.
"Its just," Wei Ying drifted off, head shifting so he was looking directly up at the clear blue sky. Only a few wispy clouds streaked thin lines across the skies, "I was just curious."
"It is unlike Xiao Wei to think about that period," Xichen hummed, thinking about what if Wangji had truly abandoned Gusu Lan back then. What would he have done then? What could he have done?
Wei Wuxian stretched an arm out, enticing a smaller bunny to snuggle against his side. "Lan Zhan doesn't like it when I think too hard about the past," he says ruefully, treating the new bunny to an apple slice. "It makes me sad. But it's hard not to think about the past when Lan Zhan is with Jiang Cheng."
Even as he continued to ponder the thought of Wangji in the Burial Mounds, Xichen suddenly understood what Wei Wuxian was really thinking about. "You miss him."
"Of course I miss him! I miss my husband when he leaves the room. I miss him when he stands too far away from me in a big room. I miss him when he is already at the top of a flight of stairs and I'm still down at the bottom."
"Xiao Wei," Xichen looked at Wei Wuxian, unimpressed, knowing that Wei Wuxian was intentionally trying to delay the real conversation he wanted to have.
Sighing, Wei Wuxian talked about what he really wanted to say. "Jiang Cheng was my brother in every way that mattered."
Wei Ying paused for a long time, content to feed the bunnies as they surrounded him. There was a little white one with black spots nuzzling Wei Ying's neck that had just been born the past spring. It was the only one who wasn't purely white and it was Wei Ying's favourite.
Xichen said nothing, content to feed the rabbits that had surrounded him as he waited for Wei Ying to collect his thoughts.
"After the Guanyin Temple, I spoke to Jiang Cheng. We didn't plan it, but we ran into each other in the Unclean Realm. Neither of us had told Nie Huaisang we were going to visit but I think Nie-xiong still planned it," Wei Ying huffs out a dry laugh. Nie Huaisang was now the black sheep to be wary of in the cultivation world, and wasn't that just ridiculous?
(Deep down, Wei Wuxian knew Nie Huaisang had always been smarter than he let on. Not book smart - never book smart - but the artist in Nie Huaisang saw more with a single glance than Wei Wuxian could ever see in any amount of time.)
"He yelled at me and threatened to break my legs. We cried and apologized to each other. I went back to Lotus Pier with him because he threatened to break my legs if I didn't. But I wanted to see what it was like when people weren't trying to kill me. But it was all wrong, you know? Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu weren't there, Shijie wasn't there, and no one I grew up with was there. I realized that Jiang Cheng is the only person left in the world who knows who I was as a child and I don't know what to do with that.
"Da ge, you tell me stories about Lan Zhan all the time. And I love them! And it makes Lan Zhan happy even when we laugh at him because it means we're getting along. But Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan hate each other. I didn't think Lan Zhan could hate anyone as much as he hated me but then I saw him look at Jiang Cheng."
"Wangji never hated you," Xichen jumped in instinctively. He hadn't intended to interrupt Wei Ying, and he knew Wei Ying now understood the entirety of Wangji's feelings for him, but it would never not be strange hearing about the possibility of a Wangji who didn't love Wei Ying with his entire being.
Wei Ying smiled, thinking about his husband. "He didn't. Lan Zhan really is the best. I couldn't stand being in Lotus Pier because it wasn't right. It isn't home anymore and the entire time I just wanted Lan Zhan with me so I could show him everything I saw.
"I talked to Jiang Cheng before I left. Really talked. I didn't tell him how hard it was to enjoy being in Lotus Pier without Shijie and everyone I knew, but I think he knew. He said that I had always chosen Lan Zhan over him and that he should have expected this to be no different. It's true, isn't it? I have always chosen Lan Zhan, except when I took the Wens to the Burial Mounds."
When nearly a minute passed and Wei Weuxian didn't add anything more, Xichen spoke. "In the Nightless City," he said, startling Wei Ying with his abrupt change of topic, "I saw you fight Wangji. I saw Wangji fight with you when you came down from the rooftops. I watched Wangji cut down anyone who could have harmed you and I kept our disciples away."
Gently brushing the bunnies on his chest back onto the ground, Wei Ying slowly sat back up. His earlier hip injury had long since healed, but Xichen still found himself looking for signs of discomfort as Wei Ying moved. Why? Wei Ying wanted to ask but he couldn't find the words to do it.
Seeing the question, the confusion, written across Wei Ying's face, Xichen continued while stroking the soft ears of the rabbit in his lap. "You know that our family is passionate and fiercely devoted to those we love. Wangji is no different. He may be the fiercest of us all," Xichen smiled wryly. "If I had allowed Wangji to cross swords with one of our own, I would have forced him to choose between two factions of his heart. That is not a fair decision to thrust upon someone. I was scared. I think I knew, even then, perhaps especially then, that Wangji would have chosen you over me. For a long time, until recently, I did not wish to think too deeply about what Wangji would have chosen. He has always chosen you, and I was not ready to face the reality that he would choose you over Gusu. I believe, if I had forced the choice upon him, I would have lost him forever."
Picking up the little spotted bunny, Wei Ying cradled her gently in his arms. He fed her an apple slice as he looked at Xichen. "Me? Would he have? The rules were - are - so important to Lan Zhan…" Wei Ying trailed off.
"Not so." Lan Xichen said with absolute certainty. "Wangji entered the forbidden section of our library without permission to research ways to counter the effect of demonic cultivation. He was punished when he returned from visiting you at the Burial Mounds."
Wei Ying was shocked. "He did that? For me?"
Xichen nodded. "When he was whipped for supporting you, he asked Uncle 'who is right? Who is wrong? What is black? What is white?' "
A strangled noise came from Wei Ying. He was now clutching the spotted rabbit with both hands as if the rabbit was all that was keeping him grounded. "He...Lan Zhan said that?" When Xichen nodded, Wei Ying continued, in awe, "I...there is a lot I don't remember from my first life. But those words, those are the words I said to Lan Zhan when he came to stop me. When I escaped with the Wens. Lan Zhan...he really said that?"
"Uncle was furious," Xichen said with a small smile, borrowing one of Wei Wuxian's techniques to lighten their conversation. The rabbit in his lap had grown restless and shaken off Xichen's hand. Unbothered, Xichen watched as the rabbit hopped out of his lap back into the field.
Turning back to Wei Ying, whose little spotted bunny was licking at his chin, Xichen said, "I do not know the entirety of what has transpired between you and Sect Leader Jiang. I do not doubt that you loved each other greatly and continue to care for the other, just as I do Wangji, but you were pushed to make a decision prematurely and Jiang Wanyin was unprepared for the consequences of that decision. Unlike Wangji and I and Gusu Lan, Yunmeng Jiang was never granted the luxury of time."
"Lan Zhan still blames Jiang Cheng," Wei Ying says quietly. The rabbit in his arms has grown restless and is now perched on his shoulder, nibbling at his hair.
Brushing invisible dust from his outer robe, Xichen spoke. "I saw you fall. I heard Wangji scream and watched as he leapt after you. I watched you slip from his grasp and heard Wangji cry out afterwards. We have had eighteen years to come to terms with our role in the events, years that you have not had, but it is still difficult for Wangji to see Jiang Wanyin as anything other than the one who turned his back on his brother."
"It was my choice to fall," Wei Ying's throat is choked with tears that have yet to fall, his voice just barely above a whisper.
"But Jiang Wanyin made choices that deepened the chasm between you." Xichen held up a hand when Wei Ying opened his mouth to disagree. "Choices were made on both ends, but Jiang Wanyin made his decisions out of the unpreparedness of seeing you choose Wangji. It seems inevitable now to think that you ever had a choice that wasn't Wangji, but it was not so clear back then. Just as I had not been ready to lose Wangji, Jiang Wanyin had not been ready to lose you. Until Jiang Wanyin is able to accept that you and Wangji were always destined to choose the other, it will be difficult for either of them to view the other with anything but resentment. I am only thankful that I was never in a position to force Wangji to choose between us, and that I was given enough time to repair my relationship with Wangji and to make my peace with our fate."
Smiling a watery smile, Wei Ying sets the restless little spotted rabbit down on his lap where she nibbles at the remnants of a bok choy stem.
"Do you regret your choices?" Xichen's voice was strained. He didn't want to ask this and was fearful of the answer, even though he knew there was nothing to fear and he already knew what Wei Ying would say.
As the tears finally overflow from his eyes, Wei Ying looks at Xichen and says with absolute certainty, "how can I, when my choices have led me to Lan Zhan?"
Feeding the last of their prepared snacks to the spotted rabbit, Wei Ying wipes his tears with his sleeve before turning to Xichen.
"Everyday I think my heart is going to burst with how much I love Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian says softly, cheeks aflame. His eyes are downcast and darting, usually modest for someone who regularly shows off the love bites Wangji leaves on him.
Xichen beams, happy for the happiness his brother and Wei Wuxian have finally found after so much suffering. "Then cherish that love because it will always be enough."
Xichen calls Wei Ying "Xiao Wei" because there isn't a term for a brother-in-law who is married to a brother in Mandarin and everything I came up with sounded terrible to me. Xiao literally means small but can be used as an honorific or a term of endearment.
Personally, I headcanon that Wei Ying calls Lan Zhan "A-Zhan" when they're alone because he wants a name for Lan Zhan all to himself.