Trading Jade Hairpin for Paper Rings

by KhepiAri

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are going through a very messy and public divorce. A heartbroken Wei Wuxian runs away to the Yiling Mountains, away from his ex-husband, who is in denial about the break-up and is hell-bent on getting back together. Enter Lan Wangji, who has returned home after twelve years with the sole mission; win Wei Wuxian's heart. A.U: WangXian Endgame. ChengXian

4. Chapter 4

Wei Wuxian Will Not Get Trapped By Love Again

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Wei Wuxian had a bigger problem—physically and mentally, a problem bigger than his very public and the most scandalous divorce in the history of Cultivation society!

The problem was towering behind him and hugging his body with enthusiasm and refusing to let him go. The very self-aware and shapely hips of Wei Wuxian were pressed against Lan Wangji's equally very shapely front. It was only thanks to the self-control taught in the Lan Sect, that Lan Wangji's very improper thoughts about his former teacher didn't transfer to his cock. Otherwise, he would've rubbed himself against the crevice of Wei Wuxian's buttocks until his foreskin was left red and dripping.

Self-control didn't mean that he was going to stop bothering Wei Wuxian. He had spent an obnoxious amount of time in his exile life— dreaming of a happy life with the only love of his life.

Every book that ever was written about pleasure and lovemaking had been read and memorized by the second young master of Lan Sect! He inched his lips closer to the exposed pale ear of Wei Wuxian, he spotted the empty piercing on the lobe, Wei Wuxian used to wear lovely ruby danglers when he wanted to look beyond gorgeous. He left it all the day he walked out.

Without his jewels and trinkets, his lobes were exposed and Lan Wangji whispered behind it, "Wei Ying, you skipped breakfast today! I can't let you skip lunch, either."

Eroticism was not shaped by the meaning of words, but it was shaped by how the words were uttered and how they affected the listener that mattered. Delivery over details Lan Wangji's books had told him, and his large hands followed the suggestions of the books. He pulled his hands up the side of Wei Wuxian's waist and rested them loosely. And ghosted the tips of fingers to make the older guy twitch.

"I swear, if you don't stop hugging me, I will kick your arse, and break your dick, Lan Wangji." Wei Wuxian didn't like being touched loosely or casually. The hands around his waist were like wisps, making the skin under the fabric of his shirt itch and toes curl — he needed to be held firmly and manhandled without gentleness. Unintentionally, he tried to adjust his hips to feel the right grip, but Lan Wangji was doing exactly what he had read — creating awareness in Wei Wuxian's mind and desire in his body.

"You backed out from the dinner date, it was a promise! You have been trying to ignore me! What option do I have left?"

"Why do you think I backed out from the dinner promise? And it was not a dinner date! Just dinner between a teacher and his former student!" Wei Wuxian gently elbowed Lan Wangji in hopes of pushing the man who was ready to gobble him up. Getting no reaction or movement from the great wall of Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian lamented, "Your presence unsettles me."

Lan Wangji deliberately decided to misinterpret the words Wei Ying just told him. The young master of Lan Sect was a man on a mission, again his lips were behind the pale ear, whispering, "You don't like my smell? I take baths twice a day!"

With a growing frustration in his belly, Wei Wuxian took a deep breath. He had never wished ill upon anyone, except people who tried to disturb his research, but that was rare. So he couldn't understand why the gods were testing him all of a sudden. From the insincere arms of one possessive man, he was tossed into the arms of a romantic nutcase. "It is not a question of liking your smell or not. You are holding me down like a paperweight!" Wei Wuxian was caged between a human giant and his office bookcase.

"But am I? Wei Ying is the strongest cultivator in the world. How can I ever pin him against his wishes? Were you not called Yiling Patriarch years back?"

Wei Wuxian, was indeed, one of the strongest, if not the strongest Cultivator of his generation. And he could push his former student away, but he would never hurt Lan Wangji— not intentionally at least. He would never lift a finger to harm him, but he definitely wanted to teach him a lesson today. The researcher's mind was stretched, his heart was pounding and his hands itching to cast a spell. Wei Wuxian was trying to be civilized about this situation, hence he had not activated the talismans he had stuck all around his office, and Lan Wangji had cooked for them. "What happened to you? You used to be so shy! Now you are writing audio romance novels."

"I love talking with Wei Ying."

"Can we eat lunch, can you stop being a romantic thug for once? Please"

"But I need you to keep your promise."

"I will go on a dinner date ! Happy?"

"No."

"What more do you want? I agreed to the date, no?"

"Become my husband."

"Lan Wangji!"

"Wei Ying, you said yes to my proposal!"

"I was distracted!"

"You are always distracted! You are so distracted that you are willing to ruin your health."

"I just skipped breakfast."

"Let us get married, I will look after you."

"Do you want to be my husband or caretaker?"

"I am not JOKING, Wei Ying!"

"You think I am! Marriage is not child's play."

"I am worried about you, and marriage assures me that I will be legally bound to you! And you can't skip meals!"

"You can't be upset about me skipping meals. It is the way I am. And legal binding is a bad reason to marry!"

"You are not getting out of this! You can not stop letting me look after you!"

"Stop being childish."

"Does my feelings don't matter!" Both adults in the room knew Lan Wangji was doing this on purpose— asking silly questions. Wei Wuxian knew he didn't mean anything. Yet, somehow Lan Wangji was able to replicate the tone of hurting in his words. "Am I a mere plaything to you, Wei Ying? I am worried about you. I have always worried about you!"

"It's just breakfast!"

"You were not eating properly two weeks back either, you no longer use magic like you used to; you are always restrained. The stress and the weight of power are consuming you. Let me take care of you. Let me love you. You don't have to love me back immediately. But let me have a small corner in your heart."

Two weeks back, after Lan Wangji had dropped to his knees with the red paper ring asking for Wei Wuxian's hand in marriage, the older man had said yes— by mistake.

Realizing what he did, Wei Wuxian immediately backtracked and cancelled the promised dinner date down the mountain. After the former consort of Jiang Sect successfully avoided his former student for five consecutive days— thanks to reasons like; support group meetings, experiments breakthroughs, and teaching the kids, Wei Wuxian was able to avoid him.

After the fifth day, Lan Wangji decided enough is enough.

The musician cultivator came by Wei Wuxian's office on the pretext to eat lunch together but found more than seven obnoxious empty ceramic coffee cups, stale paper cups of tea gone cold, soggy boxes of barely touched instant noodles, and empty beer cans. Immediately, Wei Wuxian was lectured on his life choices, eating habits and drinking problems which somehow led to them ending up having lunch every working afternoon.

Since that afternoon, Lan Wangji had decided to continue this one-sided engagement by dropping in for lunch as a faithful fiancé. Not only did he decide that the engagement was happening in full-swing with the end goal of marriage, but he also introduced himself as Senior Wuxian's Fiancé to Wei Wuxian's new colleagues.

And more than often every afternoon they were pressed against each other thanks to Lan Wangji being adamant about not caring about Wei Wuxian's personal space.

Which was followed by him harassing Wei Wuxian with hugs and touches that left the older man with a burning throat and weak knees. Confidently, Lan Wangji would leave Wei Wuxian every day flustered and angry and pink— and yelling.

Nie Huaisang had suggested that Lan Wangji should not give his best-friend a single moment of respite or time to idle away— Wei Wuxian left in the company of his thoughts a diabolically depressed Wei Wuxian.

Today, Lan Wangji was a man dressed in a baby blue shirt and khaki trousers, looking prettier than a spring sky. And he was happily engulfing a man covered entirely in black fabric. He was going to postpone his harassment of the day until after lunchtime. Fate had other plans as when he was leaving the orphanage, Baoshan Sanren and the cooks informed him that Wei Wuxian had skipped breakfast— again. Lan Wangji was not able to eat late breakfast on Tuesday mornings with his beloved because he taught the children music cultivation from 7 am until 11 am. This information provided the man in black with a perfect opportunity. As Wei Wuxian got to sleep in late and ran away without eating breakfast as there was no Lan Wangji to lecture him.

Lan Wangji would've still let the crime of skipping breakfast slide. His mind changed when he entered the office.

Again he saw the empty coffee cups on the floor, tossed papers, the stink of energy drinks, the smell of inks, and among the mess sat Wei Wuxian hunched in a corner of the office— his hair tied into a half bun, his bangs held back by paper clips and scribbling things on his notebook, typing on his laptop and muttering to himself while he absent-mindedly drank cold tea from most probably yesterday's cup.

When he was working, he didn't care or notice anything.

Lan Wangji stood there for a long time before he decided to walk over to Wei Wuxian and pulled him out of the mess and threw away the cold tea before the older could protest.

After that, they faced each other for a few seconds before Wei Wuxian decided he couldn't bear the concerned gaze in Lan Wangji's very beautiful golden eyes.

"It is Wei Ying's fault for neglecting his health and not eating his meals on time. Now that we are engaged, I will do whatever I want to keep Wei Ying healthy."

"We are not engaged, and I am still in the middle of a divorce."

"You are divorced, the public court hearing is your ex-husband's ego nonsense!"

"And you are making sure that my reputation will be tarnished beyond repair. If people find out, the second young master of the Lan Sect wants a divorced man! Do you know what will happen?"

"Why is Wei Ying still caring about others' reputations?"

Wei Wuxian rolled his head backwards and placed it on the strong, sturdy chest and looked up! "I said mine! My reputation." Lan Wangji was all over him from behind, his two strong arms were holding Wei Wuxian's temporarily weak arms and his legs were somehow tangled up with stronger legs made of bricks! In simple words, Wei Wuxian was captive in his own office.

"Wei Ying, we both know, you never cared about yourself. You are worried more about the mud that will be slung at that atrocity of a man called Jiang Cheng. As for Lan Sect, I don't care about them."

"First of all, I know you dislike him. But since when did you start using mean words to express your dislike? Really? What happened to you?" Wei Wuxian's mind was genuinely curious. Yes, there was a gap of a dozen years between them. But how could an introvert of the worst fabric, grow into a sarcastically cynical person openly sharing his views?

"Be honest with me. What did A'Ch— I mean, what did Jiang Cheng do to you? Did he ever insult you in public? I know he has a foul mouth."

Knowing how, when his ex-husband met Lan Wangji for the first time, both had taken an instant dislike for each other. Jiang Cheng hated Lan Wangji because he didn't like how the pair of golden eyes were screaming about his obsession with Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji had not hidden his contempt because he felt that A'Cheng was too rude and pompous, and he believed his heart was purple like his eyes — Lan Wangji was unaware at that time that this A'Cheng was his greatest's love's fiancé.

"I grew up." The reply came with the flattest tone one could conjure up.

Wei Wuxian didn't buy this answer, his guts always told him that the hate Jiang Cheng had for Lan Wangji was more than mere jealousy. Jiang Cheng on principle disliked people who liked Wei Wuxian, and he was very much aware of teenage Lan Wangji falling in love with his A'Xian. "It is hard to believe that barely three meetings between both of you would leave such a negative impression on each other; you treat him like he is your nemesis from a past life. I know him well, he can be rude as fuck. But you, I don't recall you being petty and holding on to grudges based on mere words exchanged. Did he do something to you that I am not aware of?"

"Wei Ying is overthinking because he is finding it hard to adjust to my current image because of the one year we spent together in the past. I need to make Wei Ying get used to the fact that I am a fully functional adult capable of responsibilities. And I don't care about your ex-husband enough to let him ruin my engagement with you."

Lan Wangji lowered his head further to Wei Wuxian's left cheek and whispered, "I am an adult who understands another adult's needs, I know Wei Ying is very much aware of me. Why are you using your useless ex-husband to distract yourself— is it so that you can't look at me without feeling things? I know how Wei Ying thinks too. Should I disregard consent and take a step forward and make it easy for you? Tell me, Wei Ying, what do you want? Should I kiss your entire body? Should I strip you against your wishes? Or—"

Feeling the gush of warm and not-so-innocent words on his cheeks made Wei Wuxian finally muster all his reserved strength and pushed the giant off him enough to free himself of the sturdy body and the thick smell of sandalwood and jasmine.

"You— we can't." Wei Wuxian's face was burning. After a few more deep breaths, he pushed the taller man further and further. Putting a distance of sanity between them to get clean air. The smell of sandalwood and jasmine though calming and gentle was not helping and every millimetre of his skin where Lan Wangji's hands had wandered burned.

Wei Wuxian loved sex like any other person, maybe a little more than the average person. But he was not someone who could not function without sex. In the last two weeks since Lan Wangji's sudden marriage proposal with the red paper ring— the younger heir of the Lan Sect had got bolder by the minute and smarter by the second.

Lan Wangji never crossed the line physically, but it didn't mean he was not testing the resilience of this line his former teacher had drawn with his words.

And he was everywhere after Wei Wuxian's attempt at avoiding him for five days failed royally, the musician cultivator was always near him— at breakfast, for lunch he would fly to Wei Wuxian's mountain on his sword in white and blue attires that accentuated his body! For dinner, he would be back in loose casual clothes but neatly arranged clothes, and smelling fresh after a bath. Wherever he looked, the giant man was there! And before retiring to bed, he would force himself inside Wei Wuxian's room and play him healing melodies until he fell asleep! In the morning, he would wake up to Lan Wangji's arms wrapped around him!

Today was one lucky day, where he didn't have to eat breakfast with Lan Wangji and had taken the morning to compose himself and steady his greedy heart against this man's growing influence.

Wei Wuxian's inner soul was that of an insecure hungry child, if he was given a chestnut with a smile, he would latch on to the kind person's hand. And right now he was being offered a buffet of deliciousness that he craved! It was becoming harder and harder to ignore the presence called Lan Wangji.

All he needed was one day without Lan Wangji.

Yet, again here he was, just like the previous night, and the night before that!

Despite having kicked him out last night after scolding him thoroughly, Lan Wangji had followed him like a loyal puppy, played music and crawled into the bed after Wei Wuxian fell asleep.

"You will fall in love with me." The confidence in Lan Wangji's voice was sending bolts of shivers down Wei Wuxian's spine.

This was not part of his divorce plan!

It had been more than a year since he separated— and actually, he was already divorced by Sect's permission. But the social divorce was delayed because of his ex-husband's stubbornness. And it was even longer than that for his sex life.

After he decided to leave, Nie Huaisang took him to many clubs and parties where people met him! His best friend believed it was to test the waters and end the relationship by hooking up with new people.

A clean start with a well-satisfied body!

Wen Ning nodded, his former sister-in-law felt awkward but sided with Nie Huaisang. Wei Wuxian could have fulfilled his body's requirements the day he walked out, he could've got his fill of robust young people or experienced lovers at any moment since he decided his marriage was over. He didn't, not because he still felt guilty about leaving Jiang Cheng or thought it was inappropriate until official confirmation of the divorce happened— to him, sex was something you did with someone you love. He loved having sex, but because it was with Jiang Cheng.

In the afternoon, they met outside the court after one year of separation when his ex-husband touched his hand — the joy of being wanted by that man that he had experienced for years was gone.

Love was there, but affection was gone. Care was there, the need was gone. Relief was there, hope was gone. The connection was there, but the partnership was gone.

And the marriage?

Marriage was long gone.

Wei Wuxian was not conservative either, he was simply a romantic fool. And he was scared to smile back at the seventh or ninth pretty person who winked at him in the bar. He had never dated, he didn't know how to even ask for a phone number from a person he found pretty! Nie Huaisang would've helped, but in his guts, Wei Wuxian knew he was not ready to jump into people's beds just because his marriage ended.

It was a disservice to himself.

"Lan Wangji— I"

"Yes, Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji's eyes were always looking at him, at times it could become overwhelming, like at this very moment.

"Do you just simply desire me? Or do you just want me because I am your first love, and do you think I need to get over him? Are you trying to be a replacement for my ex-husband?"

"No."

"Then don't try to bulldoze me."

Hearing this, Lan Wangji's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"

"I have only had one relationship in my entire life. There were steps! Yes, engagement was the reason behind it, but before I got married to him, we had years together as friends, then lovers and then a married couple. My entire life revolved around one person's happiness. Do you understand what that means?"

"You want me to wait twenty-two years to get married? I can wait, I waited twelve years." The confidence in Lan Wangji's voice made Wei Wuxian flinch! He knew how stubborn the younger man was, he could rival Jiang Cheng and win.

"No!"

"So you want to get married sooner?"

Wei Wuxian's mind just lost the ability to talk like an adult human. He had seen this expression on Lan Wangji's face twelve years back. Twelve years back, the teen had to give up on his idea to make a husband out of Wei Wuxian because Wei Wuxian was engaged and deeply and madly in love with Jiang Cheng. Lan Wangji would never hurt Wei Wuxian or come between his happiness.

Right now, who was there to stop him?

"I mean, give me time to think. It's too soon."

"No."

"What?"

"That Jiang Cheng had known you since infancy! I have to make up for the years I didn't get Wei Ying to myself. I have to catch up. You can choose not to marry me, you can choose to not label us. But time to think is not what you are getting. I should've broken your engagement the day I found you crying because of him. I should've stopped you from falling so deeply for a man who never loved you! Never again will you be inferior in love. You will be worshipped by me."

"Lan Wangji."

"Why are you calling me Lan Wangji today?"

"I am trying to be clear-headed here!"

"You don't dislike me, I know you care for me, I know you will die for me, so why not give it to me."

"Sex?"

"Your heart, Wei Ying! Give me a corner in your heart!" There was a slight twitch in Lan Wangji's beautiful lips. He was fast, in moments he was again back to the position he was before. "Sex can wait, love can't." Lan Wangji's hands grabbed Wei Ying by the waist, firmly this time, and pulled him towards his chest. He took Wei Ying's lean palm and placed it on his chest.

"Feel it."

"Your chest?" Wei Wuxian chuckled. He was blushing, he knew this man was a honeytrap of everything Wei Wuxian desired. He hated to admit it, but the pull of attraction was strong. They had reunited a little less than a month ago, and since then they spent almost every waking moment together. Their proximity was illuminating ideas in Wei Wuxian's mind, and it was not favourable for him because he was thinking about this giant all the time.

The red paper ring that sat on his study reminded him of the infinite possibilities he could've had if he just let Lan Wangji in.

"My heartbeat. Since the day I saw you. My heart belonged to you. Let me in, Wei Ying."

"Bulldozer" Wei Wuxian punched the strong chest and pushed his former student softly away, but with magic and sent him flying around the room. Lan Wangji was surprised by this decision and how the conversation was cut short. He decided to remain quiet and let Wei Wuxian do whatever he wanted to do. Lan Wangji didn't mind being toyed with if it was at the hands of the love of his life.

Composing himself further, the researcher in Wei Wuxian returned to the room and looked at Lan Wangji floating around. The office was not big enough to accommodate such a tall person— the tall man bumped into the ceiling and the window panes. Watching Lan Wangji move like a helium balloon brought back the smile on Wei Wuxian's face, but there were little tints of red in his sliver-grey eyes, which the younger man observed discreetly.

Lan Wangji also wanted to protest, but decided against it and let his former teacher manhandle him. But he offered him a glare as a display of resistance— as he was bumping into the walls, he preferred being stuck in a corner like a gecko and observing his Wei Ying do magic! Yet it didn't hurt when he bumped here and there because he could feel a barrier around his body, it was from a talisman, which Wei Wuxian had put on him when he was bullying him.

Wei Wuxian ignored the glare from the golden orbs and snapped his finger. What Lan Wangji saw didn't surprise him, as he respected Wei Wuxian's skills, his skills always surpassed his expectations.

The plates and cups flew in from the display corner; the tablecloth set itself and the lunch boxes unpacked themselves while Wei Wuxian collected his papers, laptop and magical tools. It was rare for cultivators to be able to levitate multiple objects at the same time let alone subduing a living object of Lan Wangji's calibre, as more than spiritual power a cultivator needed absolute concentration to control his objects.

And it was a long time since he had seen Wei Wuxian indulge in magic so freely.

Finding that Wei Wuxian was using his magic in such versatile ways without hesitation made Lan Wangji fall in love with him again.

After vanishing the discarded paper balls simultaneously, Wei Wuxian still kept Lan Wangji pinned up in the air and took his time to neatly arrange the food on the plates— this time without any spells or talisman, as he was grateful that Lan Wangji brought it to him with such love and care.

As a former Jiang Sect consort, he couldn't stop obsessing with aesthetics and presentation. Though cursed by the gods of the hearth with bad cooking skills, he still knew how to make ordinary food look more appetizing. When he was satisfied with his arrangement, he looked up to Lan Wangji and snapped his fingers.

"Come, let's eat lunch, Mr. romantic bulldozer."

With a loud thud, the second young master of the Lan Sect landed on his buttocks.

Is There No Age Limit To Buffoonery?

---

"Were you out of your mind? What were you thinking?" Jiang Cheng had not expected to be hit in the face at his age, especially after his return from the hospital. He looked at his sister in disbelief when the door opened and their mom greeted him with an angry, tired face and angrier hands. Nor did he expect more slaps to follow after the first one. Madame Yu grabbed her son by the collar and dragged him into the innermost part of the Sect Hall.

When Jiang Yanli moved back home in hopes of helping sort out this mess, she had some hope for her sibling and parents. Now she found the mess was getting messier— all thanks to one act of divorce. She was glad for her Little A'Xian, because only the distance of years and separation gave her the perspective of how terrible her family was, she was glad she forced him to get divorced!

Feeling exhaustion hit her feet, she followed them without any hurry.

Though Jiang Cheng kept looking at her expecting an explanation, she had simply forgotten to tell her little brother that their mother awaited him in the Sect hall, when she signed his discharge papers.

Madam Yu's voice and the echo of the raining slaps on Jiang Cheng's body were booming all around, "Not only you created this mess, but you also went ahead and fermented a perfect ground for more gossip! Did we not give you a year to sort out your matters? Why are you dragging this? Are you not afraid of consequences? Do you realize what your stubbornness is going to cost us?"

Why was he indeed dragging this?

He had more than a year to fix his side of the mess. Wei Wuxian had prepared everything from his end for the divorce to end mutually without the involvement of the public court. Jiang Cheng refused to accept the Sect's decision and dragged their sorry excuse of marriage into the public court.

Grabbing his bangs with frustration, he looked at his mother in defiance, "Because I love him." Jiang Cheng realized he said the words, pitifully. He looked at his mother and sister, none had an ounce of sympathy in their eyes, "I love him." His voice cracked up further.

"No, you don't," Madame Yu snapped back. "You are a Jiang, selfishness is braided in your blood."

Jiang Cheng yelled back, "I only loved him."

"Then why are we in this situation? As much as I would like to pin the blame on that ungrateful Wei Wuxian, and forget it ever happened. This crisis has been created by you. You alone."

"What was I to do? He packed his bags and left! No explanation, no phone call, no email! Why should I have done it?"

"Let him go! You, dumb child! Let him go. We had enough." Madame Yu was desperately trying to control the media narrative. Though currently, everything in the public was anti-Wei Wuxian, she knew it better, the moment the non-cultivation population began to care about this divorce— Jiang Sect's reputation would be dragged to the mud.

Her former son-in-law was hailed by the civilians as a kind deity who helped all. The man who bridged the gap between magical cultivation society and non-magical civilian society. She wanted to protect her son, if it meant slapping sense into him to give up on his marriage— so be it!

"He is my husband!"

"Treating him better, when you have had the time, would've saved us from this." Jiang Yanli who was listening from the sides reminded him again.

"Everyone is blaming me. But none of you are telling me, what have I done wrong? Did I ever physically abuse A'Xian? Did I ever mistreat him? Did I cheat on him? I have cared for his comfort and health! And I have always been loyal, I never even thought of having a concubine for the sake of an heir."

Madame couldn't believe the next words she was going to say, "Did you ever express how much you loved him?"

"As Sect leader, you are not allowed to love anyone above your Sect." Jiang Cheng recited his lesson and paused for a moment, and then looked at his sister, who was rather impressed by her mother's awareness of her son's follies. "Yes, I had expressed multiple times that I loved him. Did I not get him back when he left us for a year and decided to hide in Lan Sect? If I had not loved him, why did I march up the mountains and get him back? If I had not brought him back, he would've become fucking Lan Wangji's groom."

"If you loved him so much, why did you keep threatening him with divorce?" Madame Yu yelled again, her face had aged up in the last year because of her son's inability to accept reality. She never liked her son-in-law, he was everything she wished she could be but wasn't allowed to be — even as a consort he was proficient in his personal life and social life. It irritated her. As a former consort, she knew this man made the seat of her son's foundation as leader of the Sect, solid as granite. There was a reason she agreed to this unconventional marriage.

Wei Wuxian was her son's shield. He was his umbrella. He was his sword and he was the blanket that kept the nightmares away. Now he was gone, her son was vulnerable, and she was worried. The tides would turn if Jiang Cheng kept testing the fates with his arrogance.

"I didn't."

Madame Yu was done hearing the same lie, again and again, when she had evidence, "You did, we heard it, your father and I! I remember it clearly."

Jiang Yanli nodded in agreement, "You did, not once or twice, you did it multiple times. I know because each and every time you said the word 'Divorce', he told me. He told me every time your fights turned into threats of separation." Jiang Yanli explained calmly. "You planted the seed and watered it. A'Xian just harvested it."

"I never meant it."

"If you didn't, why mention it? Your father and I fight all the time. But we never threatened each other with divorce."

Now it was Jiang Cheng's turn to snap back."That's because you love him, and he doesn't love you back. And you have nowhere to go! Your sisters are married and busy with their family drama. Our grandparents are dead! And you love your position more than anything, mum." Jiang Cheng was his mother's son, he inherited a foul temper and unkind tongue from her. And so he continued being unkind. "I would've preferred if you and dad were divorced, it would've saved me years of disdain for arranged marriage! My marriage is stronger than yours, mom! Our marriage is built on friendship, unlike yours, where you can't even offer a smile to your husband when he returns after long periods of gap." Madame Yu was so shocked by the words her son was cutting her with that she never realized when tears were falling down her well-preserved face. "Please don't act surprised. Just because you don't say the word doesn't mean you don't want it! And where is your husband? I didn't see him anywhere since I returned, did he also run away from his spouse like mine."

The next slap was strong enough to make him stagger backwards. "How dare you?" Madam Yu's palm was aching, her face was crimson in anger and the bleeding lips of her son didn't stop her hands, she slapped him again and again, chanting the same words. "How dare you! You ignorant child."

Jiang Cheng didn't defend himself, he let his mother hit him all over. He knew he deserved it. If Wei Wuxian was here, he would've slapped him harder and then gone to repent in the prayer halls.

"Mom, please stop this!" Jiang Yanli knew it was all in vain, the cat was out of the bag. She wanted to go back to her son and daughter. Deep down, she felt guilty for having hurt her little brother and her Sect. Hence, she was here, to atone for the mess she enabled, but it was time to wrap it up. "Mom, stop!"

Hearing the pleas from the elder daughter stopped her hands. Her son stood there, looking more injured than how he had gone to the hospital. "We didn't make our marriage a laughingstock like yours! You have killed whatever dignity your marriage retained. You both just had to be this messy!"

"Don't blame A'Xian. The mess is his responsibility. A'Xian did everything within his power to keep the Sect functioning in his absence. It's time he stops the demand for public trial." Jiang Yanli walked towards her mother and wiped her tears. "Mom, you have to stop blaming the poor boy for your son's actions."

Madam Yu wanted to answer her daughter curtly but took a few angry deep breaths to calm herself and announced her verdict to her son, "Stop this. Recall your plea from the public court, we have let this go on for too long. Once it's done, issue a public apology and go into seclusion for a few months. I will retake the role of the consort until we find you a spouse willing to do this role. If you don't do it, I will cease all your funds."

Jiang Cheng's purple eyes became dark purple, akin to a split blueberry, and in a strained voice he confessed, "Mom —There is no turning back."

"What have you done?" Mother and daughter asked in unison.

"There will be five trial dates. I have paid them all, we cannot pull out."

"Are you insane?"

"Sis, you talk to him right, please tell him. I will not stop trying to get him back, even after the trials are over. He belongs here, by my side, as my consort." Jiang Cheng raised his heavy arm and pointed towards the highest seat of the Jiang Sect, and besides that was another seat, slightly lower and smaller, cushioned with softer silk and decorated in more jewels— for the consort.

Jiang Cheng had missed the sight of Wei Wuxian in his golden and purple robes, decked in his ornaments and jade hairpin; it was a vision to behold.

The Jiang Sect leader wanted his consort back right where he belonged— besides him, in his arms.

Nie Huaisang Loves Drama More Than His Best Friend

---

"Why are Wei Wuxian's court orders coming to our house?" Nie Mingjue looked at his little brother lost inside an onesie and hugged a giant teddy bear and gobbling popcorn while his head was half sunk in the pillow. The image was too comfortable for a physically active Nie Mingjue!

Nie Huaisang was lost in his tele-program like there was no tomorrow. "What are you planning A'Sang?" Nie Mingjue picked up his brother's head and replaced the pillow with his strong horse rider thighs. "What are you up to, child?" Nie Mingjue pinched his brother's cheeks.

"Spoilers…"

"I should be kept in the loop, should I prepare for Jiang Cheng and his purple army? At our doorstep?"

"Not for a while." Nie Huaisang spoke

"A'Sang, are you preparing for a war?"

"I am making a better world. Brother say: aaaahhh" Nie Huaisang offered his popcorn to his giant brother, who had resigned to his faith and opened his mouth automatically.

"Did Wangji reach the orphanage?"

"Ah huh."

"And is there something I should know?"

"They are engaged. Here, have some more."

Nie Mingjue choked on his popcorn a few seconds later when the realization hit him, "They are what?"

"Wei Ying is in denial, Wangji is doing great."

"They just met! He cannot steamroll him into love!"

"Oh, he can, you seem to keep forgetting how obsessed Lans are! You know it better than me."

"Are you not worried Wei Wuxian will get hurt?"

"Of course I am, but I trust this younger Lan, he has more spine than his Sect elders."

"Should I prepare for the Lan Sect army too?" Nie Mingjue had no clue what his brother was up to. But he feared the worst.

"I will protect you Ge and I thought Lan Xichen will never hurt you," saying this, Nie Huaisang released a big yawn and fell asleep on his brother's lap! And Nie Mingjue was left with dread.

"Oi, you can't sleep! What are you pulling?"

Can Lan Wangji Not Care For Wei Wuxian?

---

"So, how has been my A'Xian treating you, Wangji?" Grandma Sanren, sat beside Wei Wuxian, making him a lean sandwich filling between the older woman and giant Lan Wangji at the dinner table while the children who finished their meals ran around and bothered the ones eating slowly.

Lan Wangji took all the meat from his bowl and dumped them into Wei Wuxian's bowl, "He has been mean to me, grandma." Wei Wuxian had always been the teaser, the joker, and the comedian. Now that he was on the receiving end of attention, he was not exactly happy about it.

"When was I ever mean to you?"

"A'Xian, why are you torturing this poor boy?" Baoshan Sanren mock-scolded her grandson. "Little Wangji here is soft-hearted like a pot of butter! He will melt if you are too haughty with him."

Hearing this nonsense made Wei Wuxian scoff. If Lan Wangji was butter his former tutor was sea-foam, he would vanish in seconds. "I? Who dares to go after the precious white jade of Lan Sect."

"Why haven't you gone after me then?"

Wei Wuxian decided to ignore this man, he carefully picked up the meat pieces and chomped on them like a starving cat. He dared not skip anything on his piling plate, otherwise, Mr Romantic Bulldozer would lecture him day and night.

"Wei Ying, please eat slowly. Why are you always in a hurry? You either are too hungry or not hungry at all! No wonder you feel full in the morning because you gobble everything in a rush, it will give you indigestion. Take slow bites, love." Lan Wangji's fingers held Wei Wuxian's wrist softly and wiped off morsels from his half-opened lips like he was the father of a toddler who had just learned to hold chopsticks. It was both comforting and terrifying. "You eat like a child!"

"Because he was forced to starve as a child when he was being trained for his role as consort." Baoshan Sanren explained casually like it was a truth known to everyone. It was not, only two people knew Jiang Yanli and Nie Huaisang, not even the former husband knew! Jiang Yanli knew because she was the one who stopped it, and Nie Huaisang knew because he had asked the same question and Wei Ying in a moment of weakness had confessed to him.

Hearing this, Lan Wangji's grip on his wrist tightened, and his other hand stopped wiping Wei Wuxian's lips. Unable to hide the look of surprise on his face as he felt his heart was immobilized.

"Wei Ying, don't hide things like this from me. I am sorry for how I reacted to you skipping breakfast. I will pay more attention to your nutrition."

After a pause, Wei Wuxian turned to his grandmother and asked, "H—how did you know?"

"Yanli told me, I have known it for years."

He was not hurt by the breach of privacy, he just didn't like being looked at differently, "It's a private matter." Wei Wuxian muttered. He didn't like being perceived as weak or sorry or someone vulnerable. He, himself, refused to believe he had troubles and issues. The moment he started believing he was not alright, he would crumble like cookies.

"If it is a matter of Wei Ying's health, there is nothing private about it. Grandma, I want to know everything." Lan Wangji refused to let the wrist go but dropped his other hand on Wei Wuxian's lap, the place the broad hand suddenly sat on burned Wei Wuxian's skin. "I want to make Wei Ying happy and healthy!"

"You will do no such thing."

"Wei Ying, we have been engaged for more than eighteen days now! It is my duty!"

"When did you get engaged?" Baoshan Sanren picked up meat from her bowl to plug Wei Wuxian's mouth and shut him, and paid attention to Lan Wangji directly.

"The night after I arrived, I made him a paper ring, I went down on my knees and asked for his hand. He said yes."

"I said yes to another piece of fish for lunch! You just happened to be there asking a weird question."

"So, to Wei Ying, a piece of fish is more important than my heart?" Lan Wangji was clearly acting, his golden eyes were cute and rounder, like an overgrown German shepherd pretending to be a harmless puppy. Wei Wuxian was having a terrible time accepting this grown man was once his cute student.

"Did you glamour yourself?" Wei Wuxian pulled his wrist away and looked at the younger man properly.

"No!"

"Then why are you all cute now?"

"Wei Ying always found me cute! Remember, you used to call me, my piece of the moon!"

"Yes, you were cute when you were fourteen and a foot shorter than me! And a piece of the moon? You are a full moon in the backyard now! Refusing to hide your glory under the night clouds!"

"So Wei Ying, you find our little Wangji, handsome?" Baoshan Sanren added another piece of meat to Wei Wuxian's mouth. "Is it his body or his face? I know you are a sucker for a well-built body! Didn't you say Nie Mingjue had the sexist body in the Cultivation society?"

"Wei Ying, so you want me to buff up like Nie Mingjue? I can't grow in height, but I can gain more muscles. We can work out together! Should we?"

Wei Wuxian's mouth was full, and his cheeks puffed. Lan Wangji was enjoying the sight, "Please stop it! No one needs to look like no one! Don't encourage him, grandma, he has a competitive brain."

Baoshan Sanren was nodding along, she loved watching Wei Wuxian have normal silly conversation, she was glad she let the little man called Nie Huaisang convince her into getting a Musician Cultivator. "If he wants to look more handsome, I can't stop him! There is a draught of handsome people in this world."

Lan Wangji, actually didn't care about his looks, he knew his beauty was the result of generations of Lans only marrying beautiful and healthy people, enriching their bloodline with the burden of magic and aesthetics. Knowing Wei Wuxian cared about appearance was a good enough reason for the second young master to aspire to look better than he already was. "But you find me handsome, right? Wei Ying!"

"There is no doubt about it," Wei Wuxian replied with a full mouth. "You are the most beautifully handsome man in the entire world. Brother Mingjue is rugged and handsome, but my piece of moon is unsurpassed." When he had spoken the words, Wei Wuxian had not expected the blush to crawl up the glorious jawline and soft pale cheeks of his former student. Lan Wangji had almost tricked him into believing that he was immune to shameless talk, because he was the one initiating the flirting. There was a crack, a little crack in the so-called grown-up life of Mr Bulldozer, and Wei Wuxian made a mental note he would exploit it when the time was right. Still, he had to confirm, "Grandma, you are correct! There is a dearth of beautiful people. Look at Lan Zhan, you are so pretty, when you fly on the sword, you look like a celestial being! Your skin basking in the sun, your hair floating in the wind and your golden eyes reflecting the warmth of the sun. Brother Mingjue has no chance."

Lan Wangji had not expected the counter-attack to come so fast, who was he kidding, this was the love of his life, intelligent beyond anyone's comprehension and the grandmaster of shameless flirting, "Wei Ying, no talking when you are eating."

Wei Wuxian wanted to scream that it was Lan Wangji who started talking during dinner and asked if he was handsome or not. But before he could talk, Lan Wangji put more food into Wei Wuxian's mouth; now Wei Wuxian looked like a squirrel with cheeks full of winter supply.

"Since you find him handsome, half the issues of this marriage are solved. The attraction part is covered. Now you need to test compatibility." Baoshan Sanren explained nonchalantly. "Compatibility is the most important part of marriage — not just in mind but physically. Why don't you try it out as soon as you can."

"Grandma seems knowledgeable." Lan Wangji was impressed.

Wei Wuxian wanted to explain, often the virgins were bigger experts on sex. And he also wanted to say, he never had physical compatibility issues with his ex-husband either! It was their mental incompatibility that ruined a perfect marriage. If he said all this he knew, Baoshan Sanren would call him a hopeful fool who still dreamt about his former marriage and Lan Wangji wouldn't waste a day and announce to the whole world his one-sided engagement because he was being backed by an enabler called Nie Huaisang.

"I am eighty, I know how relationships work, boy!"

"I agree. But Wei Ying is shy, he won't even let me hold his hand."

Wei Wuxian wanted to dig a ditch and bury himself in it, and he was pretty confident he would find Lan Wangji in the same ditch with open arms to keep him company.

Jiang Cheng Doesn't Understand The Meaning Of No

---

"You know, following me won't solve your problems." Wen Qing announced to Jiang Chen, who was following her to the café. It was her precious day off, and she wanted to have her fluffy pancakes.

"You are in contact with my husband."

"Ex-husband."

"Put him on a call."

"I am not in contact with him! Why does everyone think we are best friends? He is close to my brother. I just joined them now and then. And have you ever in your life used the words please?" She was lying, Wei Wuxian was her only friend. She wouldn't claim to be close to him like a brother. As a doctor, she respected Wei Wuxian for his scientific achievements first. They were bonded by their love for research. Though when asked by anyone in her hospital, she would insist she was not close with Wei Wuxian, for the last seven or eight years they had a decent relationship cultivated by their love for thought experiments and gore literature.

"You were his personal doctor, you know more than me. And it's not like you don't know who I am! We went to watch films together."

"I am still his doctor. And, might I remind you, why I became his personal doctor in the first place. Us, you and me watching movies together adds nothing to your credibility!"

Because Wei Wuxian was by nature a friendly person he often dragged this ex-husband of his on family film nights with his colleagues, her brother would drag Wen Qing too. So she couldn't even claim she was a stranger to the leader of Jiang Sect. As she also cared about Wei Wuxian as a friend, she was aware of how much this marriage had cost him; mentally, physically and socially.

"For the sake of peaceful times, we watched movies. Tell me where he is?"

Wen Qing wanted to ask what peaceful times were , she remembered almost all the nights they watched films together with the research team. This man in purple, who was in front of her eyes, was complaining either cribbing or criticizing something about the choices of the day! "Doctor-patient confidentiality! Have you no shame?" Wen Qing pushed open the door, generally on a Sunday morning the café would be crowded with pretty people and youngsters. Something was odd, something was definitely odd! There was no one except for the servers standing uncomfortably. She closed the door and turned around to leave. She hated being involved in other's business, though Wei Wuxian was not another, she hated the idea of having any involvement in this matter. "You are really making this difficult."

"I booked it for three hours. Let's talk inside." Jiang Cheng pushed the door of the doctor.

"Dude seriously?" Wen Qing and her brother were children from a subsection of a disgraced Sect, so society was in general unkind, hence she never learned the polite language of elites or bothered to be courteous. The only people she trusted to open the door for her were her brother and Wei Wuxian. She knew the leader of Jiang Sect was a rude person, if he was trying to be polite it meant he was losing his mind.

"I am desperate." Finding no sympathy in her eyes, he uttered the word that hurt his pride, "Please." Knowing him as a high and mighty man, too full of ego and too strong a personality that hurt her friend, the word please was just a little revenge she extracted. "I am really trying here. Help me."

As a doctor, she had learned to toughen up to people. Wen Qing had never expressed that the couple was an ill match to anyone out loud, as Wei Wuxian was raised to be smitten with this man, and she knew as a friend she could only support him, until he realized how disadvantaged he was. Now that things were different, the roles had reversed, and the one chasing was this man in expensive purple, who used to be Wei Wuxian's centre of the universe.

"Please tell me where my husband is." Jiang Cheng didn't let go of the door.

The famous Jiang Consort also known as the Yiling Patriarch, Teacher Wei or Cultivator Wei, was not just a husband, he was the knight protecting Jiang Cheng all the time. Cushioning his ego when required, chastising him when he crossed the line, and even putting his foot down when he thought things were out of hand. Jiang Cheng didn't lose a husband— he lost his entire support system.

Looking at him, she should've felt pity, instead, she felt tired on behalf of Wei Wuxian.

The Wen siblings owed Wei Wuxian everything— her brother's career, her career, and even her life. Wei Wuxian wasn't one to count his favours to others. He would conveniently forget good things he did and move on, similarly if bad things were done to him, he would rationalize it and if it was beyond his ability—he would retaliate. But for his friends and family, that man could burn down cities to the ground. So she decided it was better to hear Jiang Cheng now so that she could give a heads-up to Nie Huaisang, who was currently protecting their friend.

"Half-hour. I will not reveal his location or compromise his position. And I will inform Nie Huaisang of today's meeting. Do you understand?"

Nie Huaisang's name worked like a curse repellent talisman, Jiang Cheng frowned but agreed, "Okay. I guess he wants me to lick his boots, to get that address."

Once they both sat inside, Jiang Cheng took a sip of water and decided to ask, "Is he in a safe place?"

"Yes."

"His health?"

"Barely stable. But we made sure he was taken care of."

"Is he eating? When he is upset, can he go days without eating?"

"Nie Huaisang got him a caretaker, so no meals are not being skipped."

"Has he stopped loving me?"

"He has started loving himself more."

"Will he find a new person?"

"I hope so." Wen Qing scoffed. "Is that all?"

"No— I know everyone is saying it is my fault. And I am sure it is mine. I just want to know how many years he has been thinking of leaving me. I know he is impulsive, but he won't take a decision like this on a whim. He had prepared everything in advance for his departure. It's like everyone around us knew, except me."

"The Summer State Dinner Night"

"But that night— we" Jiang Cheng wanted to say we didn't fight. But that was the night he knew he fucked up.

"You said some hurtful things as jokes, then you left him alone in the party to clean up the mess you created by lack of conduct. Albeit unintentionally, but you hurt and humiliated him." Colour from Jiang Cheng's face vanished. "Nie Huaisang was there that night, he was with your husband. So don't deny it."

That was one of those rare nights when Jiang Cheng had actually wanted to bend Wei Wuxian over and take him again and again because he was looking so gorgeous. Wei Wuxian was wearing a ruby hairpin on his half-done bun which he paired up with ruby earrings— both family heirlooms he inherited as consort. His dark robes were dangerously wide-collared to reveal the strong nape and chiselled collar bones on which a lovely red choker sat; the combination of black and red, made his husband's beauty draw everyone's attention.

Everyone wanted to talk about this beauty, everyone wanted to talk to this beauty and everyone wanted own this beauty. No one knew better than Jiang Cheng how lovely his husband was. As they matured, his husband evolved like fine wine— elegant but silly, dignified but cute, gorgeous but restrained. Not only did he draw the attention of anyone and everyone that was there that night. Many had offered themselves to Wei Wuxian to be his bit on the side— men, women, people-in-between, old, middle, young— it didn't matter.

That night, Wei Wuxian was everyone's dirty dream! And in a moment of drunkenness, Jiang Cheng said awful things; he didn't wish to recall.

Seeing his face turn paler by the second, Wen Qing continued, "He was certain. That was the night he decided he would leave. He was going to talk it out like a civilized person. But you fought again a few days later. He realized he was tired because talking to you felt like talking to a wall."

"He said that?"

"No, he said, 'We have nothing more to say. Talking to him feels like throwing a bottle into the sea with a message inside, but it gets found by a sailor who cannot read my language. I am tired of waiting, I am tired of translating for me.' I have recorded these words. Furthermore, I am glad I did."

Wen Qing pushed her phone, there was the recording, the words boomed in the empty café. "You know it is his voice."

"Why do you have this?"

"Nie Huaisang isn't the only one worried about him, if he had not stepped up, my brother would've. I just happened to be there when he was sad and drunk, crying in my home. I recorded it in hopes of playing it back to him; he is my research partner too you know. But it was never required, fortunately. He concluded it by himself." Since she was already involved, Wen Qing decided to make Jiang Cheng suffer further, "Look, if you are planning on dragging this matter to public court. I think you should be ready to face the consequences of your actions. No, I don't mean in the ways of Karma! I literally mean it. We know how public hearings are sham and done for the sake of humiliating the partner leaving the marriage. This will not end well for you."

"I just want him back."

"You had him for thirty years. Let him go. Let him live freely. You had your chance, didn't you? You really hurt him."

"I— I"

The cluelessness in Jiang Cheng's eyes was irritating her, "You still don't get it, do you? You disrespected him in public, multiple times. You never cared for his opinions, yet you delegated your work to him, and when things got tough you dumped your work on him. Not only that, you have tried to make him quit his research job, you tried to cancel the programs he ran with his whole heart and worse of all the crimes; you are a bitter person, you are jealous of him— correction envious."

"I am not jealous of him."

"You know, the Wen Sect had a saying, purple clouds envy the sun. I never knew what it meant until I saw you two." The words did the task she wanted them to do. "Brother Cheng, you cannot simply enjoy the sunshine and then pretend to not care. And you cannot hide the glory of the sun behind your envious purple clouds."

"Bu–"

"You had no intention of hurting him, but you had no intention of hearing him. If you had booked a café for three hours, and just listened to him as desperately as you did today, you could've saved three decades of love he nourished for you." Wen Qing stood up and poured the glass of water on Jiang Cheng's head. It felt good, and it was an insurance plan too, she didn't trust paparazzi, if the whole nation was glued to this power-couple's divorce drama. If people saw them enter the café and rumours started swirling, she needed to keep her end of the story straight. Her pouring a glass of water would make a better story than false stories of her being a homewrecker. She was glad Nie Huaisang had warned her about every potential outcome of this celebrity break-up.

"You should've listened to him when he suggested marriage counselling. The advice came from me."

The doctor patted Jiang Cheng on the soaked shoulder and left him in the middle of a silent café.

I am tired of translating

I am tired of translating

I am tired of translating

The words ran inside his head like a wounded crow screaming trapped inside an abandoned building— alone and helpless.

Is His Past Hiding The Seeds Of Pain?

---

Five years back, Wei Wuxian's sweaty fingers were holding Jiang Cheng's wrist with all his desperation. This was the first time the Jiang Consort had put his foot down publicly and declared enough was enough. It was also the evening when he had finally broken down in spirit after having a heated discussion about the Sect Budget with his husband, in front of everyone.

He pulled his husband away as soon as the elders and members left the main hall. Inside the privacy of their official living quarters, Wei Wuxian had declared his suggestion.

"Let's go to a marriage counsellor, let's fix this. We are better than this," the words were full of pain and begging. And the words echoed thrice in the room before Jiang Cheng decided to reply.

With growing anger in his chest, he barked like a cornered dog who had lost his way home, "So now I am not even allowed to express myself?"

"Is this what you call expressing? Mocking me in public? Watch me try to navigate between your ego and maintain the social decorum while the entire sect relishes every second of the cinematic show called, "How Jiang Cheng Belittles His Husband?"

"My ego? What the fuck do you mean?"

"If it is not your ego, then what is this?'

"I just said, we cannot continue the program for non-gifted children! When did I even belittle you?"

"You tried to force your decision on me and toy with my official functions. Which you are not allowed to do. I am your partner, not your assistant or second-in-command or your trophy spouse! I am the bloody Consort!"

"Then why couldn't you accept my small request?"

"You seem to forget, I was raised to be the Jiang Consort to look after the well-being of the Sect. I have to think of the Clan and the Sect first, your whims are not important in the grand scheme of events."

"So your work is important and not mine! Who do you think meets with sponsors and other cultivator to run this Sect! Every fucking day, I am in a meeting!" Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, in an attempt to calm himself, but ended up continuing his conversation with a suppressed growl, "I just think the money you spent on these welfare programs can be used to acquire more shares in the Hospital Business that Wens are building. The Lanlin Jins, Baling Ouyang, even Meishan Yu have bought them, so why can't I?"

"You never trusted the Wens! No one trusts the Wens! They are trying to make a comeback by rebranding themselves! Can't you see, they made a blunder with their pharmaceutical empire, hospitals look safe business! They are not! I am certain, they are playing goody two shoes! Might I remind you, they almost sent an entire province into doom with illegal human experimentations under the guise of looking for spirit stabilizer cure! Should I show you the proof?"

"Neither has Jin Zixuan nor Nie Mingjue agreed to it!"

"Oh please, Jins love money, and their clan leader has agreed to it, our brother-in-law doesn't matter until and unless he inherits the title. At leasts Jins respect hierarchy, unlike us! And your lovely A'Sang will agree to it when he smells profit!"

"Don't drag him into this. We both know he has more business sense than the entire cultivation sects combined."

"Opening chains of tea houses and non-profit loaning institutions doesn't make him a genius."

"So you want to discuss my best friend's brains now?"

"Whatever, if they can invest, so can we! Why are you being so prickly?"

"I refuse. Medical business is risky— you can't be impulsive. These investments cannot be made on whims. And we don't have expendable assets to get the funds for the number of shares you seek! And if we make a loss, who will take responsibility? I will not."

"Hence, let me use the budget from your program."

Hearing these words again made Wei Wuxian frown in irritation, and he raised his voice, enough to make it rebound for a minute,"And you have no right to interfere in the matter of consort office. The Jiang Foundation, the Cultivation School and the Social Trust are under my domain, you will not get my stamp."

Jiang Cheng wouldn't cower back, so he raised his voice as well, "Oh, you are allowed to remind me of these in public, but I can't ask you to stop your nonsense with the non-gifted!" Getting no reaction out of his husband, he tried to pull away, but when Wei Wuxian willed against Jiang Cheng, he would anchor himself like boulders to an innocent ankle." If they are not born with the spiritual powers, they cannot be cultivator!"

Wei Wuxian adjusted his voice, and did his best to sound reasonable, but Jiang Cheng's angry purple eyes were making it harder for him, "They are not non-gifted! Spiritual powers are not equally allotted to us. How many times have I told you, it is physiognomy and nurture that shapes our golden core. They are not separate things but part of the magic. And all the students got admitted into the program after they cleared the aptitude tests! If we keep discriminating, we will face another crisis! Don't forget what Xue Yang did to Yueyang Chang, he was turned away for lower spiritual powers despite being part of the family— he came back and burned down the Sect! The village that doesn't embrace the orphan child, comes to burn it back to feel is warmth."

"Don't bring that bastard into this conversation! Doesn't matter where they come from, if they don't have enough power, they should do something else."

"Say that again. My Uncle, Song Xichen almost lost his life to that guy. And should I remind you who else almost lost his life?"

"He is not your uncle, you are barely have an age difference."

"He got adopted by my Grandma, that makes him my mother's brother!"

"Wei Ying. You are seeing yourself in these talentless fools. You and these kids are not the same."

"Say that again, I dare you. I will not abandon the children. They can wish to not-work with magic, but to deny them the chance to be part of this society because you were born with a better bloodline is discriminatory. That's how it started, the Xue Yang Incident began because a child was left alone.

The Xue Yang Incident is an event that not many outside the cultivation world knew about. It was a lesson everyone kept overlooking, but not Wei Wuxian. "The non-cultivators are way smarter than us, if their children are showing even miniscule spiritual powers we need to hone it and if our children are losing magic, we need to prepare them for a life where they don't have to rely on magic! How hard is the concept for you to grasp?" Finding no reaction or assurance of his husband understanding him, Wei Wuxian continued, "The bridge between magic and non-magic is shrinking, we will be outnumbered soon if we keep hankering after bloodlines, if for love of someone you don't stop interfering, we will never fix the foundational flaws!"

"It is a waste of taxpayers' money!"

"You don't give two fucks about taxpayers!"

Feeling his temper rise further, Jiang Cheng tried to push his husband away, "Wei Wuxian, you are not a philanthropist. This is the money that belongs to my Sect. I should be heard on these matters as the absolute authority!"

"And you think I am not part of the Sect? What am I? A glorified bedmate with no brains? You are talking ridiculously."

"You were not born in this Sect."

"Dear me, do you ever listen to anything I say? EVER? I said nurture vs nature, so what if I don't have purple blood like you? I was raised to be Jiang! I am very much a Jiang as much as you are! What is wrong with you?"

"You were raised to be my husband first and nurturing mother to children you can't have later! Your loyalties should lie with me! ME! Your lord husband."

"Jiang FUCKING LORD HUSBAND Wanyin! You can't be on the top seat of power and get away with this bullshit." Wei Wuxian's eyes had turned red as he bent his head to look down at his husband. Jiang Cheng knew it, he was being looked down at, that look of disappointment, in the silver-grey eyes, made him feel naked and small.

Wei Wuxian used his unemployed hand to cup his husband's arrogant chin, "You haven't given me a single logical reason or explanation why you want to shut down the program that I have been running for years — you say you want to buy the shares. I have never heard of this before; and we as a couple talk. We talk all the time. You let me know even the littlest of things that occupies your head. Today, you spoke about this business venture in the meeting like— as if you had discussed the details with me beforehand! Was that, so you could fool the Sect members? You were using me as your shield when you roped me in this plan. You didn't discuss a single thing, with me. What are you trying to do? Did you think just because I love you, I will accept it without a discussion? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING! If it's another vanity project, shut up. Don't avoid my eyes A'Cheng"

Jiang Cheng had twisted in Wei Wuxian's grip that evening, he felt like a moth pinned to a glass slab, one among many specimens in Wei Wuxian's lab. What else could he do other than avoiding the eyes that knew everything about him,"Why can't you accept one request from me? Was it so hard?"

Bending further down and Wei Wuxian's lips hovered a few millimetres over Jiang Cheng's lips, from a distance people would've mistaken it for a passionate make out session, "But, it was not a request, was it, my love? You have been taking out our marital frustrations in the public. You won't tell me what is bothering you, nor will you discuss it with your parents. Then you saunter into the meeting without a plan and propose a business venture to the whole Sect. What the fuck is going on! Since you can't trust me with your ideas, and you feel the need to use public pressure to make me say yes, I will also suggest that— let's get marriage counselling. Whatever is happening between us, can be fixed, but you have to try. I can fight for you, I can fight you, I cannot fix it for you!"

"And end up becoming the laughingstock of the cultivation world? Because we had a little argument. Everyone will laugh that the Jiang Sect Leader can't keep his pretty wife obedient because he is a henpecked husband!" Breaking into an angry laughter, the chief of Jiang Sect continued to pull his face away from Wei Wuxian's fingers, "You want to announce to the entire world that I am incapable of keeping my pretty husband satisfied and happy? You want more people to laugh at me?"

"Why is our sex life even a topic of discussion? Have I ever complained? This is a topic of huge amounts of money you wish to pour into something that my entire guts is screaming about! How did it come to this, I suggested marriage counselling to fix this communication gap! And we are not communicating, you try to brush aside anything I tell you! You don't even listen to me!"

"You ask me not to trust the Wens, but you trust that Quack Wen Woman! Is her medical touch healing your cock?" Jiang Cheng groped his husband's crotch. He expected a punch, but Wei Wuxian returned no reaction. "Everyone thinks you are sleeping with that Wen Girl!" Again, Wei Wuxian stared at him with pity in his beautiful eyes, which morphed into exhaustion on his face. He continued looking as if Jiang Cheng were a toddler throwing tantrums, and he knew not how to fix it. "You are making me a laughingstock, A'Xian!"

Wei Wuxian took a deep breath, and removed the hand that was on his crotch, "But making me a laughingstock in our Sect is fine? Do I look like a dumb lamb to you, A'Cheng? You may not have any other job than being Sect Leader who runs from one event to another. I have, I will no longer entertain this behaviour, and I will call your bullshit— bullshit. If you are jealous of Wen Qing, I have no words for you. I don't know how your logic system works, but it seems, you think my hole or cock is always twitching for companionship— and you think I will sleep with anyone who smiles at me. I assure you, I do not have the time to cheat on you. Between us both, I am the busier one. And if I ever fall out of love, I would tell you. Register that in your head, Lord Husband!" Each word was uttered respectfully and paced so well that it stung Jiang Cheng one syllable at a time.

"Fall out of love?"

"Hmmm. Yeah. You seem assured that I will cheat on you. I don't see why I would? Yet I know, I am not interested in getting a mister or mistress. If it's your fears and desires you are projecting on me, and if you need a concubine, let's get one. But let's go to a marriage counsellor."

Unable to come up with a smarter comeback, he resorted to tactics that he knew drove Wei Wuxian furious, "You are being hysterical now, you are just a consort by designation, not a woman. Stop acting like a wife with her panties in a twist. Be my husband and listen to me. Stop nagging me like a woman, if I needed that, we would've actually got me a concubine, right. Or do you actually want to be a wife because the question of an heir was dragged out again?"

The fingers around Jiang Cheng's wrist at last went loose and the heavy weight that kept him anchored was gone, and Wei Wuxian's face turned darker than he had ever witnessed, his silver-grey eyes had turned red, the sight of angry Wei Wuxian made Jiang Cheng stumble backwards— he realized he crossed the line by miles— there was no coming back.

The shorter husband didn't remember when he started doing this, but whenever they argued, he kept reminding Wei Wuxian that he was not a wife and should act like the husband he is— despite being fully aware that his husband was bound by the feminine role in this marriage. Was it to cut the argument or feel in control? Wei Wuxian was his. And getting him riled up made Jiang Cheng feel like he mattered to his husband.

"Very well, you will submit a 3000-word long public petition with signatures of both your parents and the main families and an alternative plan for the students you wish to abandon."

"What the fuck?"

"You haven't seen how capable I am as a hysterical wife. This barren, hysterical old wife demands that you follow the protocol."

"What are you doing?"

"Jiang Wanyin, I love you. But I will not indulge you, especially in your hubris. Your mother and father will talk to you about your behaviour tomorrow, since you think I am being hysterical. And your parents will demand proper explanations. Good luck."

"Don't involve our parents in this."

"I already did."

"What did you do?"

Without another word, Wei Wuxian pulled out two talismans from his husband's broad collars. And handed him. They were transmitter talismans, which he had initially created for his nighthunt addict mother-in-law and her team. So that they could hunt at night in peace, as Wei Wuxian had observed that more than often electronics failed in the presence of the supernatural.

Later, Nie Huaisang saw a business opportunity and began selling them under the Jiang-Nie Banner to everyone.

That night, Wei Wuxian had enough of being insulted and decided it was time to involve the people who had arranged his marriage. Since he had no parents to complain about his marriage, he chose to complain to his in-laws.

Pulling the talismans from his husband, Jiang Cheng burned them, "What are we, kindergarteners? You are involving my parents? You are snitching on me!"

"Since, you are behaving like one, I thought it was the best action. I will not return home tonight. And don't worry, I am not cheating. I will be in my lab."

"A'Xian, come back!"

Wei Wuxian decided not to reply and turned around to leave. "If you leave now, there will be consequences." He was thoroughly ignored. "Wei Ying! I will file for divorce. Don't you dare walk out on me!"

That slowed the tall man's steps, but he didn't grace Jiang Cheng with a turnaround, "You don't have the pussy to file for divorce. Remember this, if we reach the point of breaking up, it will be me, who will file for divorce, and you will come crawling after me. And I won't come back. EVER."

Every First Date Needs A Memorable Drama

---

As promised, Lan Wangji took Wei Wuxian down the mountains into the main valley of Yiling where they would have their dinner date.

"Yiling Patriarch, is that you?" A gentle voice called from behind, and Wei Wuxian immediately froze, and Lan Wangji observed his reactions like a scholar. "It is you, you have grown up! It is me."

Wei Wuxian had many monikers, he was mostly known as the Jiang Consort to the civilians, sometimes he was addressed as Teacher Wei because of his extensive experience pushing towards bridging the gap between magic and non-magic, and people in the innovation circle knew him as the Yiling Patriarch!

Though there was a time when for a while he was just known as the Yiling Patriarch, the origin of the name happened when he had decided to run away from Jiang Sect and joined his grandmother on night hunts. Because he didn't want Jiang Cheng to immediately track him down, he had used this alias, before bumping into Lan Xichen, who offered him the job. By the time Jiang Cheng had connected the dots, Wei Wuxian was already a teacher in Gusu.

Later a few inquisitive journalists did their investigation because they thought the Yiling Patriarch was missing only to figure out it was the Jiang Consort.

Wei Wuxian's frozen face recovered from the initial shock, and turned around to face the person who called him, "Uncle Fourth?" Lan Wangji paid attention to the passing of multiple emotions in the silver-grey eyes, as he tried to adjust his expression for the person who just called him.

A small, wrinkled man with tufts of cloudy hair waved his hard hands at him, the little man was dressed in brown clothes and grinned ear to ear. His eyes were a bit cloudy, as if perpetually lost in thoughts,"You remember me, boy?"

"I am no longer a boy! And I remember you, Uncle! How are you, and why are you in this part of the city?"

"You look as young as you did thirteen or fourteen years back." The old man took fast steps and held Wei Wuxian's hands, "I came to do some shopping, but then I saw you! I was not sure if it's you or not, your hair used to be longer" and then the old man hugged him. Without any delay, Wei Wuxian hugged him back and patted the old man on his arms with all his accumulated warmth, "Are you well, son? I read in the papers."

It dawned on the former Lan Wangji, thanks to Yiling's poor connectivity issues, newspapers were still a staple source of information. If the talk of his divorce was published in the local papers— it meant only one thing, Jiang Cheng would discover his location soon; it was now a question of when. He needed to talk with his brother and Nie Huaisang.

The second master of Nie Sect had warned him that there was always someone in the crowd who would recognize the love of his life, and word would travel that Wei Wuxian was spotted here in this remote mountainous region. All his ex-husband needed was a rumour. Lan Wangji was glad he had gone undetected for more than one year, thanks to Nie Huaisang's and Wei Wuxian's foresight.

Wei Wuxian had hugged the old man so easily— there was no hesitation or care for decorum, that Lan Wangji felt acute pangs of jealousy. He wanted to be hugged like that. There was a special sweetness reserved for the elderly and children in Wei Wuxian's heart, and it always reflected in his words and actions. Dotting accent, caring soft words and indulging the eyes of an understanding adult. His entire presence made one statement— this is what kids and old people needed, and Lan Wangji had experienced it all first hand at the age of 14, when Wei Wuxian had taught him how to make paper cranes!

Lan Wangji wanted to gain it all back, all of Wei Wuxian's attention and care and affection and indulgences, but then again, the second young master of Lan Sect also wanted to kiss the ground Wei Wuxian walked on; his desire for Wei Wuxian was an endless list of selfish afterthoughts. The old man, who introduced himself as Uncle Fourth, was constantly patting Wei Wuxian's face and arms. Wrinkled hands gently moving, as if for assurance; assurance for whom Lan Wangji wondered.

"I am doing okay, a bit tired, but I am doing fine, Uncle, you don't have to worry. Should we help you with shopping?"

"No, no, I am still strong, I can carry a few items. Where are you living here, Little Xian? With that foul-mouthed Baoshan?"

"We are just visiting, we are staying at an inn, I don't want to bother Teacher Sanren. I am living just across the third mountain. I came to offer my prayers to my parent's grave. "

Lan Wangji also knew Wei Wuxian was an expert liar, but his Wei Ying also hated to lie, especially to people he cared about. He noticed the slight flicker of change in the silver-grey eyes. There was little guilt, Lan Wangji had a vague idea who this old man was. When Wei Wuxian had arrived in Gusu years back, he had claimed to learn many things in Yiling. Now that he could see the love of his life lie so effortlessly to this kind-minded man who had taught him how to make wines, farm radish and build furniture; it also made him question how many lies was Wei Wuxian living to just get away from the ex-husband.

Right now, it was evident, Wei Wuxian didn't have the confidence to trust anyone enough to let them know that Yiling was his new home.

"Who is this young man glaring at me? Have we met before we were children?" Uncle Fourth's attention was drawn to Lan Wangji, who, actually, was glaring at him.

Wei Wuxian immediately left the old man's embrace and patted Lan Wangji's arms, which subdued his jealousy, "My former student, he returned home after a long time abroad, he wanted to see the mountains, so I dragged him with me. A'Sang, this is my Uncle Fourth here. Remember, I told you I had an uncle with whom I hunted pheasants and learned to bone ducks? Say hello to him"

Hearing the wrong name for himself, Lan Wangji glared at Wei Wuxian too, but didn't blow up the lie. Offering an elegant and respectful bow, he uttered the two words with stomach churning disdain, he just wanted to have a dinner date with Wei Wuxian, why was the universe against it, "Hello uncle."

"Hello A'Sang, everyone calls me Uncle Fourth."

Lan Wangji nodded, "..."

"My A'Sang is shy, so don't mind him. It was really hard to get him to come here with me. He hates talking!" Wei Wuxian gave the fakest sweet smile he could bring out. The smile didn't reach his eyes at all.

"Good! Good! I won't hold you back. Drop by my farmhouse after you sort your business here, okay? I am happy to bring fresh produce for you! Don't let my age fool you! I can still hunt pheasants and bone ducks!"

"I will drop by for duck egg curry!" Wei Wuxian's voice turned greedy! "Big soft juicy duck eggs simmered in tomatoes and loads of sweet potatoes!"

"Of course, my boy, of course. Sadly, the wife is gone now, so you have to eat whatever I cook, which is good but not like her." The old man patted Wei Wuxian's arms again and then let him go. "My farm is three mountains away too, that is where your Inn is right? The north of Baosan's Mountain, you remember it, the farm is there."

Wei Wuxian replied with jolly excitement,"I will visit you soon, today my student and I are busy."

"I understand. Bring the boy too. See you." With a smile on his face, the old man walked away.

The Reluctant Brother-In-Law Who Doesn't Care

---

Jin Zixuan didn't like getting involved in people's matters. He hated drama, he hated being involved in people's messy lives. Yet here he was talking to hordes of lawyers and media relationship managers, all because he didn't want his wife to suffer any more.

Years back, when their engagement had been announced, he had done everything in his power to thwart it. From refusing to meet Jiang Yanli on appointed meeting dates to behaving like a spoiled bastard. He didn't dislike her, but he felt suffocated by the idea of being trapped in an unhappy marriage like his parents.

His excuses were memorized in bullet points, Jiang Yanli was older than him, she was not the prettiest person in the world, and she had a weak constitution for cultivation powers. Which his father had said was good , because there was no question of ego-clashes— marriage with egos on both sides or between one egomaniac and one brilliant person was a disaster! Jin Zixuan knew it was his mother who was brilliant, not his father. His brilliant mother who had always stepped aside to accommodate his father, on the other hand, wanted strong bloodlines to come together with an arrangement; love or happiness didn't matter— the end goal of arranged marriage was procreation.

Then the unusual happened, the Jiang Sect announced another arranged marriage to the world. Between two boys. Not only Jin Zixuan was shocked, he became terrified by the idea, what was the need to have arranged marriage in this case? It wasn't uncommon for cultivators of same-sex to tie the knot, but never had a Sect Leader and their consort been from the same team; because the heir mattered.

Jin Zixuan had tried to use this excuse to break off the engagement, that's when he met his then fiancé's fury. Jiang Yanli had tracked him down to his school and unleashed the wrath of gods upon him. She didn't care about him or her brother, but it was her A'Xian. One word against the child, and she was ready to fight tooth and nail with them.

16-year-old Jiang Yanli had a lot to say, and that's when it dawned upon 13-year-old Jin Zixuan that he was actually not that important in her life. She was going along with this arrangement with the patience of a saint, and had been dealing with him because she had no choice.

The day he saw her fury was the day he fell in love, and that was also the day he knew he would always compete for Jiang Yanli's affection and attention. As for her, A'Xian was always going to be her top priority.

Right now he was working tirelessly to make his wife's life easier, he couldn't care less for the two idiots who got divorced. He had told Jiang Yanli on multiple occasions that her A'Xian was going to have a hard time being married to Jiang Cheng— as her brother had the ego of three people— and Jin Zixuan's father was right, a marriage between an egomaniac and brilliant person was a disaster waiting to hurt everyone.

"There will be 5 trials." One of the lawyers pushed forward the notice. "And Wei Wuxian can sit only two out of them."

Wei Wuxian's first appearance had made the cultivation excited for weeks. If he made 5 appearances, the country would be fed for days on gossip, "Is there a way to restrict the audience flow in the courtroom?"

Another lawyer nodded with confidence, "We can arrange that."

"What is the general impression of the public?"

"Since Jiang Cheng has been making public appearances and talking about being blind-sided. The stories are all in his favour." Jin Zixuan was the one paying for Lawyers, but everything in this matter was being handled by the second young master of Nie Sect, who at last arrived with a smile, and behind him stood the Sect Leader Nie Mingjue.

Nie Huaisang greeted everyone with a sweet smile, "I brought my brother with me."

Nie Mingjue had dressed up to look his part, his hair was elegantly braided, his clothes were chosen with care to make him appear larger than he already was, it was his little brother's work, smokes, and mirror! "You and I have business to talk, Jin Zixuan. Let A'Sang handle things from here." Jin Zixuan just wanted his wife back, tucked away from her family's drama, if possible his own family drama. So he stood up and let Nie Huaisang sit in his chair.

"I don't care what you do, if you need to burn this world down. Burn it, I just want A'Li to be home and happy." Jin Zixuan patted Nie Huaisang on his back.

"You promise? I can do anything."

"Anything. If it means coming after the Jins, so be it."

"Don't worry, I will protect you, I love Sister Yanli like my own brother. I will protect them."

"I am trusting you."

As soon as Jin Zixuan stepped out with Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang opened his pretty mouth, "So when do we start a counter-attack on Jiang Cheng?"

Date Night Becomes A Mystery Night

---

Once Wei Wuxian was assured the old man was out of sight, he pulled Lan Wangji in the opposite direction by the arm. He didn't stop dragging him until they came to what looked like an apothecary for the affluent.

The staff ignored the two as Wei Wuxian pulled him deeper into the shop, until they were squeezed between shelves of colourful trinkets and jars. "Wei Ying? You are too close." Wei Wuxian looked at him, they were pressed chest to chest. However, Lan Wangji made him realize this by pulling Wei Wuxian's waist with confidence, earning a yelp from his former teacher— who he was expecting the shorter man to blush or oppose his advance.

Instead of pushing him away, like Lan Wangji had expected, Wei Wuxian leaned on him, now not only their chests met, but the sleeping organs between their pants also rubbed. "Oh, sorry. Sturdy chest though. Such a sexy body, what did you eat in last 12 years, huh?" Wei Wuxian's voice had dropped all the distance he had maintained in the last few weeks, as he patted the pecs hidden under the shirt. "I should work out more. And I wonder what's more underneath these clothes."

"Wei Ying, you are worried about that person we just met, right?" Wei Wuxian nodded."So, why are you also flirting? Don't use my body to distract you."

"I can multitask." Wei Wuxian smirked and shamelessly patted the strong chest. "Anyway, welcome to this shop, it is run by A'Sang."

"He has a shop in every province?"

"City. Every city has a Nie establishment. My best-friend is a genius. There is only one commodity which is priceless— information." Wei Wuxian smiled. "We can talk here freely."

"About?"

"Uncle Fourth —" Wei Wuxian sighed. "He was charmed."

"How do you know?"

"You think I would not meet a person who taught me farming, immediately after coming here. Especially after a heartbreak. Look at me, I am a people's person. I like meeting with old friends. So of course I knew he was charmed." Wei Wuxian sighed again. "Did you not see how repeated my words, third mountain, hunting pheasants. He and I never hunted pheasants! He was an old man 13 years back, too!"

Impressed by the man he loved, the young master of Lan Sect decided to tell the truth."I detected no charm on him. No smell. Nothing." Lan Wangji confessed and pulled out his bronze compass, "And my compass didn't detect anything."

"Is that a first model?" Wei Wuxian scrunched up his nose. "Throw it!"

"But you gifted it to me, it's not the first model, it's a customised one that you gifted me on my 15th birthday!"

"I will make you a new one. This one can detect nothing, let alone blessings!" Wei Wuxian tried to snatch it. "I will make you a new one."

"No!"

"Then don't tell me you can't detect anything, though Uncle Fourth is a special case."

"Why?"

"Because— Uncle Fourth has dementia. I met him last year. He has a child-like mind now. He was not possessed or spelled. Not only that, but he should be in his care home, not on the streets."

"Is that why you froze for a millisecond when you heard him call?"

"YES!"

"He was possessed."

"He was blessed."

"Wei Ying? What do you mean?"

The moments the words left Lan Wangji's lips, Wei Wuxian felt personally attacked and offended! "That's why you should've paid attention to my words not my arse, when I was teaching you years back! I want to bonk your head, like I did back then! These are fundamental Lan Zhan."

"I fell in love with your smile, your bouncy gait is just an added advantage. And I did pay attention in your classes!"

"Then why don't you remember? Uncle Fourth was blessed! Blessings are magic too! Take a blank talisman, crush it and brew it with tea or water and feed it to a person with a spell, and you are charmed, feed them with a command then it becomes an act of possession and feed them with a wish that is all good, it becomes a blessing, and it doesn't detect or have a smell!"

"Can you use that on people? Didn't you tell blessings are worse than charming or possession spell."

"Now he remembers! Yes! You shouldn't, but has that stopped people? Ever?"

"So, what happened, do you think?"

"Someone used not one but a handful of blessings to fill the gaps in his memories, they especially filled information about me. Hence, Uncle Fourth found me."

"I don't understand Wei Ying."

"No one can recognize me in public, until and unless I want them too. I am wearing glamour. Only a handful of people know that I use glamour when I am undercover or hiding."

"I can't feel the glamour either."

"As I said, only I can choose who can see it. Who do you think I am? A novice. I am the Grandmaster? Want to see my PhD and patents?"

"Then what happened tonight?"

"Someone found my connection to Uncle Fourth, and used a temporary memory restoration spell, but first they broke it down and then infused with second sight so that glamour could be overlooked, then rewrote it into the language of a blessing, and made him drink it." Lan Wangji looked lost, first of all because Wei Wuxian was talking too fast, and second the urge to explain and make everyone understand everything was making Wei Wuxian fidget. "Please tell me you remember this? I taught you how to break down curses and translate the language of resentment into the language of blessing."

Lan Wangji wanted to pull his leg, but decided against it and nodded, "I remember that, but it is not as easy as you make it sound. And is that even legal? I remember you did write a paper on this, and it was laughed at. Isn't that the fundamental ideology of your golden core theory? It's like alchemy, law of equivalent exchange, but with language it is dicey."

"NO, it is not permitted, but we proved it! My research partner Wen Qing and Wen Ning proved it, actually. Hence, I am surprised, how did someone come to learn this and execute it almost to perfection, almost." Wei Wuxian was not praising, he was angry. "It is inhuman and disrespectful to the person. Memories are private, and the brain losing its memories is vulnerable, not free real estate for conducting magic! And we have been researching, the blessing hurts the one who cast it. I know!"

"Do you think this is your stupid ex?"

"Did you just call him stupid?"

"..."

"No. He is ruthless but not inhuman."

To Lan Wangji the words felt like a praise. They were not, but he decided to change the subject and dropped his hand from Wei Wuxian's waist, "Then we can investigate, this is important. Let's follow your acquaintance."

"It is, but, let's have that dinner I promised you. An hour here and an hour there won't make a difference."

"But Uncle Fourth will be in danger." Lan Wangji despite hating the idea of a ruined date, didn't want to let a harmless old man suffer.

"Who do you think I am?"

"The love of my life?"

"LAN ZHAN!"

"Wei Wuxian, a man who has 91 patents to his name, two doctorates, loves teaching and the man who learnt to fix damaged golden cores. I know you are smartest, but you said Uncle Fourth is vulnerable."

"Exactly I am the smartest I am not bragging, though A'Sang is smarter than me, he falls behind because he is lazy! Putting my best-friend aside, I planted my talisman in Uncle's pocket. And cast a little spell on him. If he is in danger, we will know."

"You are baiting the culprit."

"I did learn to fish from Uncle Fourth. Now that we have spent a few minutes here, then we will have dinner. This will ease the caster's mind that we didn't suspect a thing!" There was a smirk on Wei Wuxian's face that said, look at me, I am effortlessly smart. Lan Wangji didn't realize why he did what he did next, but he raised his hand and patted Wei Wuxian, who despite the surprise closed his eyes and relished the not so gentle pats on his head.

Being patted on the head reminded him of Jiang Yanli, every time he felt overwhelmed in life he would crawl into her lap and let her pat him. This annoyed Jin Zixuan, but who dare stop him— he was Jiang Yanli's first child. Jiang Cheng hated it, and both his sister and then fiancé ignored him; which left him saltier than a salt-shaker.

Before he got lost in the comforts of pats, Wei Wuxian held Lan Wangji's rough hand and pulled it down with a grin, like a happy well-fed cat, "Let's have dinner, shall we?"

Hearing the word dinner, and looking at the beautiful smile, Lan Wangji released a deep sigh and smiled back, "Date! Wei Ying date. Dinner date"

Wei Wuxian couldn't help himself but smile wider, Lan Wangji had a pretty smile, for a brief second his heart was full. With a little head shake, "Aye, aye. Dinner date it is!" And he took Lan Wangji's arm in his, "Happy? I am holding you like a person on a date."

"I really thought you would drag me to investigate! Like you did all those years back! You can't let a good mystery go."

"Oh, we will investigate, let my talismans do the leg work, I am no longer 23 now am I? But I can't for love of the gods, bear to hear you sulking. If we skip dinner and investigate, you will chew me about it until the end of forever! And I also know you are no longer 14, that I can just put to sleep with a spell!" Wei Ying rested his cheek on Lan Wangji's shoulder, "Hmm? You are so big now! I don't like it, why did you grow up, huh? Was it so hard to stay little?" The former Jiang Consort continued looking coyly at his student, with his silver-grey eyes curtained by thick eyelashes fluttering like wings of butterflies. "So feed me something delicious, okay, I am prioritizing you over a good mystery." Wei Wuxian snaked his free hand around Lan Wangji's waist and squeezed him, "Are you blushing, Lan Zhan?"

"No."

"Awww! Reminds me of our first mission in Caiyi Town, remember how I dragged you around, and then you confessed to me! I felt so bad rejecting you. But you looked so cute too! I wanted to bully you a bit!"

"What did you plan to bully me with?"

"Can't remember now, but I remember you being so in love that I was worried, and your brother didn't help. He told me, carry on like I saw nothing! Lan Huan is a bad brother!"

"You also showed me your acting skills, didn't you? You pretended to be all adult and broke my heart."

"Sorry. I don't regret it. I still think you deserved the world— and not me."

"And Wei Ying is my world!"

"Yes. Yes. Yes. I know that you learned to flirt back!"

"You taught me."

"Eh, me? I did? Whaaaat? Right, I am known for bad ideas too, I must have taught you some nonsense as well." Wei Wuxian's mind wanted to indulge in a bit of nostalgia, "We were good, right? You and I, that one year in Gusu I was the happiest. I was not anyone's fiancé, I was not a consort in waiting, nor the genius cultivator, just Wei Ying teaching and conducting my research. Anyway, look at you! These cheeks could send young girls to envy hell, who needs to buy a tint when embarrassment gives you naturally rosy cheeks!" Wei Wuxian poked the blushing warm cheeks of Lan Wanji, "I was right you are not a piece of moon, you are the moon. Aloof, glorious, bright and beautiful"

Lan Wangji's entire face had turned into a red canvas, for last few weeks, he was the one playing offence, he had forgotten, who his object of affection was, when Wei Wuxian smiled, trees bent their branches to greet him, and when Wei Wuxian decided to flirt back, it was an apocalypse in his heart.

He knew it yet he forgot.

"So it's alright if I touch you like this in public? You love me, you can't say no to me, right honey?" And he was sending goals one after another in Lan Wangji's net.

Wei Wuxian was going to serve him a taste of his own medicine tonight. What else could he do, other than not accept it all with enthusiasm. "Hmm"

The Past Is Always With The One In Pain

---

12 years ago

---

"Wei Ying, why are you chasing those people? Should we not go to the docks?" The sunrise was hours away, and Lan Wangji who had spent all his life sleeping on routine was not used to being awake at 3 in the morning; especially after he had been spelled to sleep by his teacher crush!

"Ssh" Wei Wuxian had forcefully shut a fourteen-year-old Lan Wangji's mouth! The teacher didn't notice, his student was blushing hard under his fingertips. "Observe carefully." Wei Wuxian whispered as softly as he could.

Four people were carrying what looked like a heavy sack. Had they not been cultivators, they wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary. Soon, Lan Wangji found a Talisman being forced inside his mouth, he was not even allowed to react, it was bitter and sandy, and it burnt his throat, but Wei Wuxian didn't let him puke it out.

Lan Wangji glared at his teacher but was met with a wicked smile. Next moment he saw Wei Wuxian gobble his own creation. Once he was assured there was a considerable distance, they began tailing the four people. Wei Wuxian's hands were always holding Lan Wangji, he knew the teen was a strong cultivator, almost a rare occurrence that happened every few centuries— but his teacher's heart couldn't risk anything.

Caiyi town was a trading town, places like these always bustled with nightlife, hence Wei Wuxian had found it odd that fishermen were going missing without anyone noticing. When Lan Xichen requested his help, he knew that this was not a simple case of ghoul attack or demon snatching.

In his twenty-three years of being alive, he had been a cultivator for ten years! And there was one thing he was assured of in the last ten years, nothing was more corrupt and vicious than a wounded heart.

When they were investigating Lan Wangji had not observed the things Wei Wuxian had noticed, there was a difference of experience and exposure which Lan Xichen wanted his brother to understand.

In all honesty, Wei Wuxian had solved the case hours back, but he was dragging his student around for him to understand how the world worked.

"What do you think is in that sack?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"That's a sacrificial design used for lambs, they wrap up the lambs in it and then behead them for the weather gods."

"Good." Wei Wuxian patted Lan Wangji's head. "Did you notice anything else?"

"The symbols on the sack are drawn incorrectly. Amateur artists, most likely." Lan Wangji explained.

"Are you sure?"

"Mn."

"Look carefully at the strokes." Wei Wuxian's voice was neither indulgent nor lax, "What did I teach you about spell repellent and curse attraction and blessings?"

"I do not understand, Wei Ying." Lan Wangji was looking hard, but he was not observing. Wei Wuxian didn't lose his patience at all, he just smiled and remained silent. He was not going to explain further.

He continued looking ahead at the group of strangers, carrying the sack. Lan Wangji was waiting for an explanation, because he was madly in love and a jealous teenager in love; he failed to notice the most important aspect of Wei Wuxian's personality— Wei Wuxian loved teaching, and he was fantastic at his job.

From making talismans to braiding magic knots to lock-picking, he could do it all, and he could explain every step he took into making them. He was a man of logic and not blind faith! So when he taught them writing spells, he taught them why and how each stroke was made and arranged in it, he saw Cultivation practices from the eyes of an innovator and adopted them like an artist.

"Wei Ying, don't jest with me." But it was the first time Lan Wangji understood Wei Wuxian was capable of remaining stoic when he wanted to! And this information didn't sit well in his heart. The characters were arranged in order of a cruse, but the characters were the problem, Lan Wangji tried hard to understand what was happening. Wei Wuxian didn't say a single word and pushed his little student ahead of him.

The strangers of the night continued on their path at an awkward speed, and the teacher and pupil followed them quietly.

"Who are you?" A voice boomed behind both. It was a small person whose face was covered in a black mask. The voice was too husky for the body that was questioning them! Lan Wangji understood the voice was altered with spells.

Lan Wangji was the first to turn, but Wei Wuxian was first to respond, he immediately pulled his pupil behind him. "We are tourists, heading for Lanlin."

"Then why are you following those people?" The words were almost acquisitive.

Lan Wangji wanted to summon his sword from his qiankan bag. Wei Wuxian's fingers, which were pushing him back, squeezed him hard. So the teenager stopped.

"You both come with me before you get killed!" The person in black was extremely irritated and worried by their presence. "It's a bad idea to roam this street at night!"

But before they could pull the duo away. They found themselves surrounded. There were men in fishermen's getups, thanks to Wei Wuxian's intense lectures about the art of camouflage, Lan Wangji could tell these people were fake. He wanted to charge at them, but his teacher was still in his country bumpkin character. "We are ordinary travellers, my little brother and I have no money. We just left our homes to look around. Please don't harm us." Lan Wangji would've fallen for his excellent acting skills had he not known Wei Wuxian's true nature. "We just came out on a night stroll."

"Shut up," one among the many fake fishermen yelled. "Who are you?" The next question was addressed to the human in black.

"I am—" The stranger in black stuttered, "I am a—- pickpocket."

"Oi Bao, it doesn't matter. Bring them inside." Another man yelled.

"The fuck!" The husky voice hissed.

"Language, we have a child here." Wei Wuxian mockingly replied to the person. Lan Wangji was not afraid, but he was not expecting to just stay calm. Wei Wuxian was not just calm, but his nonchalant behaviour bothered Lan Wangji, the teacher again pushed Lan Wangji and put him between the black-clad figure and him.

The figure in black, hissed, "Now I have to babysit, simply great!"

"Well, you created the commotion, you reap what you sow." Wei Wuxian was still smirking. The three of them were now cornered and forced inside what looked like a godown of junk.

"What just happened?"

"We got kidnapped!" Wei Wuxian couldn't help but pull Lan Wangji in a hug. Unknown to the teacher, the teen in his arms was praying hard as it was the second time in his life the blood in his body was rushing somewhere very humiliating and very quickly. Then their faces were covered and hands and legs tied. And something hit their head.

Lan Wangji was the second to snap back from unconsciousness, he woke up yelling, "Stop touching me!" His hands and legs were tied, and Wei Wuxian had stopped him from using his sword made matters worse. On top of it, his face was covered, and now he was forced to sit with a stranger.

"You think I am touching you intentionally, I was pushed in here. Thanks to you idiots, I got caught! You put weeks of investigation to naught."

"You startled us!"

"Shut up, you dumb child!"

"I am a cultivator."

"Yeah, right, with your second-hand clothes and tattered rags. Dream on, even the poorest cultivators can afford a fresh pair of clothes. I have lived few years more than you, I can tell when you are poor. I used to be one! Dumb children, you had to step out tonight!"

"Wei Ying, are these second-hand clothes?"

"Your brother is not with us. A cultivator would've known even if their eyes were gouged out."

These words created a dreadful awareness in Lan Wangji, that something was indeed off. He was not able to feel or smell any magic. Wei Wuxian had taught him how to produce fire with magic, in-case they found their hands tied. A quick spell and a few hand gestures, but no matter what he did, he couldn't feel any magic.

"..."

"Cat got your tongue, child?"

"He is not my brother."

"Well, whoever he is, has already been taken away from us."

These words didn't scare Lan Wangji, who knew how smart and strong his teacher was. It was not the worry that was bothering him, it was the fact Wei Wuxian left him alone with a stranger whose face he couldn't see.

"What? I can't do anything on my own, if we are going to get sacrificed, I might as well know who I am getting beheaded with."

"Beheading? What?"

"Well, since we are here, let me tell you, there is a cult whose name I know not, which is capturing people and beheading them as sacrifices!"

"How do you know that but not the name?"

"Because my investigation revealed me this much information."

"Who are you?"

"An adult."

"..."

"Anyway, you and your teacher shouldn't have been wandering around at night when you know people are disappearing!"

"We are cultivators!"

"My compass didn't detect any magic from you!"

"What compass?"

"What kind of cultivator are you? If you are not using one!"

"Are you talking about, resentment energy detecting compass? They are available to the masses?"

"If we survive, I will show you, mine."

"You are you a civilian, right?"

"I am."

"Why are you investigating this case, this is Lan Sect's jurisdiction. Is it not their duty to investigate? And you are using tools meant for cultivators."

"You really are a pampered young brother, ain't you?"

"I am not."

"Whatever, Caiyi Town had sent multiple complaints. But the people from Lan Sects said it was not a crime of magic, so they couldn't detect anything. Which is bogus! A human body doesn't disappear on its own without the involvement of magic and stops investigating. I wish we had someone dynamic like Jiang Sect's Consort or Nie Sect Leader. They are quick to nip this stuff in the bud."

"That's impossible, we didn't receive any report dismissing the investigation."

"We?"

"I am a Lan Sect cultivator."

"And you can't use magic! Wow!" The mockery in the stranger's voice made Lan Wangji finally remember how to untie himself without sword or spell. Wei Wuxian had spent hours teaching his students— what his uncle and father had called trivial things— like spell breaking, stitching robes with charms, potion making and it included untying ropes!

Some of the cocky senior students on the crux of graduation refused to learn under Wei Wuxian's classes, which they mocked as home-science! Lan Wangji didn't know the sexism behind the words, but it never sat well in his heart, especially after Wei Wuxian's heavy scolding about womanly crafts and sexist language, the second young master became hyper conscious of how he spoke or acted— hence he took his home science classes seriously.

That night, the cheap trivial things finally came handy, as he figured out how the knots worked around his wrist. It was not smooth like how Wei Wuxian made it look, but this was an elegant first attempt.

As soon as he freed his hands and legs, the black mask was gone. Without any spiritual powers, he couldn't adjust his eyes faster to the darkness. He should've worried about his missing powers, but he knew it was caused by Wei Wuxian. Despite hating the idea of interacting with this stranger further, he freed them of the mask and ropes— only to find the person was none other than the old woman who ran the eatery from the afternoon!

"Madam Lin."

"Young boy, it is very rude to unveil a woman!" Madam Lin stood up, brushing dust from her hips, her afternoon personality was totally swept clean. Unlike the jolly woman from the lunch hour who was gossiping in comfortable flowy clothes. She was dressed to have hand-to-hand combat.

"Your voice…"

"Thanks to Jiang Consort, we can buy talismans now— change voice, change hair colour, play with a little bit of harmless magic and hide our voice. We common folk need to protect ourselves too. Disguising my voice as a man is always helpful."

"And how did you think you were going to solve this?"

"I was collecting evidence, child. Then I was going to submit it to the police! But then I saw you idiots loitering in the night when I specifically told you not to. I couldn't let you both become the sacrificial lambs! Unfortunately, I lost my temper and yelled at you two, now we three are lambs."

"..."

"I can see you judging me with those golden eyes' boy."

"All alone at your age!"

"None of your Sect people are coming to help us now, are they? What can I do if I don't take things in my own hand?"

"We came to help, Madam." Lan Wangji said with honesty, "We would've solved it today."

"You came too late!"

"Madam Lin,"

"My poor daughter-in-law became their victim. My son has been looking for her ever since she went missing. At this point, I just hope we find her body. It took me weeks to connect the dots! Do you even know how many people have gone missing!"

Lan Wangji asked, "But ain't the victims male?"

"To murderers, a body that has a cock is, male! To the gods, accepting the blood of the body with a cock is male! You think they care for the soul inside! My poor girl, it took her so much courage to walk in those lovely dresses, she and my son went out to see the theatre, and then she vanished!"

There was too much information, too many emotions, and Lan Wangji was too sheltered to understand, but he tried. "These men knew, we wouldn't be able to pinpoint the crimes done to her daughter-in-law, on them. Because they only kidnapped men! We told the cultivators and police that our girl was kidnapped! And everyone told us she ran away! You think running away is easy!"

"Wei Ying will find your daughter-in-law."

"What do you mean?"

"My teacher chose to visit your inn today, he never does anything without a reason. I am certain he figured out why the kidnappings are happening!"

"Human scarification is happening, child!"

"No."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the sacks in which the other victim was being carried inside. Wei Ying asked me to look at the symbols and characters carefully. If it was blood sacrifice rituals, he wouldn't be so laid back about it."

"Not a single body has been found."

"That's why it's suspicious."

"What do you mean?"

"If there are rituals involved, there would be traces!"

"How do you know there were no rituals involved? They could've beheaded the person somewhere far!"

Lan Wangji was still a teen, though introverted and hated communicating, he still didn't know how to console or speak with people suffering, with growing irritation he snapped, "Wei Ying tasted the paints of every household, the area from which people vanished."

"Excuse me? You are a rude boy! And what does licking paint have to do!"

"Mercury corrupts when there's blood sacrifice."

"You do realize, there are many ways of scarification without blood— like drowning, alive burial, walling up the half-living!"

"Madam, you know a lot!

"I had to learn, didn't I? You cultivators don't help. Thank god for the handbooks!"

"Was that, too, written by the Jiang Consort?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!" Lan Wangji who still had no idea about his teacher's grand identity because of his reclusive lifestyle, was impressed by Jiang Consort, yet even after two months of studying under him, the teen wasn't able to connect the dots floating in front of his eyes. And this fact haunted him until the day he learned Wei Wuxian got his divorce approval!

"I am sure my teacher can outperform the Magnificent Consort, he will have solved it."

"Do you have that much faith in him?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You said the Jiang Consort is always helping."

"I did." Madam Lin was losing patience now. It was old age and fear and worry that a child might be in harm's way because of her emotions. "So what? We don't have the Jiangs here!"

"My teacher is a student of Jiang Sect."

"Is he now?" Now that the fake voice was gone, hiding the little sarcasm in her trembling voice was hard. In her heart, there were many doubts and suspicions in her heart, but being locked inside what felt like a damp godown with a teenager was making it hard for her to believe anything.

"Yes!"

"Alright, what's the next plan? Now that you have freed us."

Lan Wangji had no plan.

Dinner Date, At Last!

---

Both men were raised strictly with the objective of making their Sect shine brighter than the north star. Fine dining was a natural occurrence to them, they knew which spoon went after which, and what item. Wei Wuxian had spent more than an obnoxious of time meeting and greeting people in restaurants and parties to cater to whims of Sect leaders and their spouses. Lan Wangji though exiled from home had to meet and greet people abroad as representative of his Sect.

As promised, like a true romantic, Lan Wangji had booked the quietest corner in the establishment with the dimmest lighting. But it was not a fine dining; it was a bustling inn with regular people coming and going. There was laughter, crying children, young couples laughing, while cooks fried and smoked their meat out in the open. There was a thick smell of oil in the air that was mixed with cheap room-freshner. Lan Wangji had got themselves the balcony that overlooked the lively crowd below, without having to deal with anyone bumping into them!

"Lan Zhaaaan!" Wei Wuxian squeezed the solid arms as he was led to their fancy spot in a very cosy family eater, by the younger. The humidity of the shop didn't bother the former consort, but he knew it did bother his former student. "Thank you for choosing a place like this, I know you hate crowd and humid places! You are so caring!"

"I thought you wouldn't want to bother with the spoons and expensive wine that all taste the same. And I don't mind the humidity, I lived abroad for years now, I have been to many hot and humid places. I didn't you to feel pressured by those high-end places."

"Correct! I never ever want to feel suffocated eating in those places! If I miss something, I can always ask A'Sang buy them for me!" Lan Wangji pulled the chair to make Wei Wuxian sit first, who took it gladly.

"I can buy them for you."

"Are you as rich as him?"

"I didn't realize I was competing against Nie Huaisang for your heart too, I am afraid I am not well off like him. But I can defeat him in combat."

"Tch not hurting or fighting between my precious people! Look, my marriage with A— him, was not the best. It was not the worst. But it deteriorated slowly. I wouldn't have lasted over 30 years without A'Sang and Sister Yanli."

"I am aware."

"No, no no, listen." Wei Wuxian picked up the menu and flipped through it. "I mean, if you want me, you have to accept the people who matter to me. You don't have to be friends with them. But, you have to be civilized. You are precious to me, not because you were my student, you were there when I was not my strongest and so is A'Sang, he taught me to respect myself. So don't be mean to him, ever."

"I can try."

Wei Wuxian cleared his throat."Then the first rule of courting me."

"There are rules?"

"I just made them."

"Okay."

"I understand where the jealousy stems from, but you are not allowed to be jealous of A'Sang, A'Ning, Wen Qing, Sister Yanli, Brother Mingjue and people who try to befriend me."

"I will be jealous."

"Lan Zhan!"

"But I will never ever bother you with my jealousy or express it in any harmful way. My jealousy is a me problem, not a you problem."

"That's good."

"What's second?"

"I cannot be your second priority."

"Wei Ying is my first priority, I returned home just for you."

"You did!" Wei Wuxian nodded, pretending to flip through the menu again. "Third, I know you want marriage. I might never ever want marriage. So be aware of this. Can you accept it?"

"I love you. I was serious at 14, I am serious at 27, I love you and I want to spend the rest of our lives together— happily."

"Will you follow me, if I keep travelling for my job?"

"I am a musician cultivator, they always need me in some part of the world."

"Okay!" Wei Wuxian shut the menu and handed it Lan Wangji. "You know my food preferences and taste. Surprise me."

Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow and grabbed the menu,"You just don't want to do the hard work, right?"

"I want to feel like a princess."

"As you wish, my princess. Would you like a drink too?"

"Yes!"

"Excuse me." Lan Wangji asked for a server.

"That's fast."

"I know you, well enough."

"Can't wait for the food now!" Wei Wuxian offered little claps like an excited toddler.

The dinner was indeed up to the standards of Wei Wuxian's choice. Lan Wangji chose everything Wei Wuxian loved, lotus rib soup, louts crisps, spicy pork, spicier drumsticks and one big glass of bitter beer. Watching Wei Ying relish his food and make chirpy noises made Lan Wangji's body turn into a happy mess. He had intense desire to feed Wei Wuxian like the lovey-dovey couples below their sitting area. He held his horses, one step at a time; Nie Huaisang had warned him.

Though initially Wei Wuxian was all bent over on how he was about empty Lan Wangji's wallet by making him pay for dinner, in the end, he didn't let the younger even pull out his wallet, let alone.

Lan Wangji asked as soon as they stepped out of the little inn, "Why did you pay with cash?"

"You want Jiang Cheng to track my bank transactions and come here tomorrow? Don't underestimate his patience, either."

"You don't have your own account?"

"I do. But it's a bit complicated."

"If you explain, I will understand."

"Not that complicated. I meant our finances are intertwined. Paperworks take time. I have my own account and money okay, but my addresses, work documents and everything that is required to own assets has him as my nominee or partner or something. Until we sort it out, I would rather not touch that spiderweb."

"You loved him too much."

"Says the man who returned home for me."

"I have my reasons."

"I had my reasons too! Ah, I can feel a flicker."

"What?"

"Uncle Fourth's talismans."

"Did you put a tracker on him?"

"Something worse."

"Wei Ying?"

"We will find out."

What? The Dinner Date Is Over? Yeah, Author Got Exhausted Here! Sue me!

---

Finding someone was not the hard task for either of them, but learning the identity of culprits always unsettled them. Sometimes it was a young child who got hold of tools beyond their capacity and ended up hurting others, sometimes it was people so desperate to make sense of their misfortune who resorted to dubious path. Sometimes it was just a vile person looking to abuse others. Investigating Cultivation World Crimes was playing dice with the universe, and 80% of the time, you were losing something— peace, hope, or sanity.

Lan Wangji waited for Wei Wuxian to explain his talisman's specifics, but he didn't rather he grabbed his hands and made him walk, around the city, until his fingers began to twitch, and an address popped up on his palms.

"Blood magic?"

"Little resentment energy and my blood."

"When did...?"

"A magician never reveals his secret!"

"I am allowed to be concerned."

"And I am allowed to be mysterious. Just know this, it's not fresh blood! So I am not bleeding or am injured."

Hearing this, Lan Wangji tightened his hand around Wei Wuxian "But did hurt yourself sometime in the past, didn't you?"

"PoTATO PoTETO"

"Either way, you are the one turning into wedges, right? Wei Ying, don't hurt yourself."

"I didn't cut myself! I took a little syringe to get the blood and created a thousand talismans. It is my last resort tonight! I appreciate your care and worry, I really do. A little bit of my blood is not more important than a poor old man! If you were in danger, I would offer a bucket of my blood! Oh, Lan Zhan that house, is it pink or magenta?"

"Magenta."

"Good job, Uncle, you responded to my spell well despite being so out of it." Wei Wuxian declared to no one.

"Please don't"

"Hmm?"

"Don't offer even a tablespoon of your blood for me! I mean it."

"I Can—Ouch!" Wei Wuxian looked at his hand, the address on his hand turned into red from black and then silver. "Okay, the caster has been snubbed!" A bright light shone from the magenta house and both of them hurried.

Uncle Fourth was in a corner; crying and begging that they didn't want to remember anything. He was begging to no one in particular, yet his hands were folded and rubbing them, and the fragile voice was trembling in his fear. He was hurting inside his mind by the influx of memories and clash of spells. Wei Wuxian ran to him and hugged him like a bear. He snapped his fingers and a bedsheet flew towards them from somewhere. In no time, the old man was wrapped and hidden in floral prints. His crying didn't stop, but it mellowed to soft whimpers and little sobs.

"It's okay. It's okay. Your memories can't hurt you." Wei Wuxian rubbed the old man's back and arms and offered him words in hopes of giving comfort. "Lan Zhan, the culprit mustn't have got away far." Lan Wangji wanted to ask what if they transported? Transportation tools and talismans were not hard to gain any more. "Don't worry, this is a dead zone." Wei Wuxian read the expression on Lan Wangji's face fine. "You and I, we don't make the same mistake twice."

"I didn't say that."

"I know. I just made sure, that Uncle went to a place drained of any spiritual power. And he came to the right spot."

"You will not leave this place, Wei Ying, I will find the culprit."

"I trust you."

"Stay here."

"I am not leaving."

"You did twice."

"12 years back, Lan Zhan!"

"I remember it fine."

"Sorry! Hurry find the bastard. I am tired, I am old, you know!" Lan Wangji had a comeback prepared. But he didn't say it. With a huff, he left to check the area.

Wei Wuxian was correct, Lan Wangji found the culprit frozen three lanes away. His former teacher was a grandmaster, with the highest licence permissible to a cultivator— which in simpler words meant, Wei Wuxian could get away with multiple acts of magical violence. Since, Wei Wuxian was the founder and creator of many things, no one could question his authority on how he used his own spells and techniques— that he had patents on.

The frozen cultivator looked familiar, yet he couldn't pinpoint the name. The second young master of Lan Sect had stayed away from his home for too long to remember who was who. The man's eyes were rolled back, his face terrified, and his body was fixed. Since he didn't want to touch the person, so Lan Wangji resorted to paste one of Wei Wuxian's levitating talismans.

When he walked in, the body floated behind him and hit the door frame multiple times, which resulted in Wei Wuxian rolling on the floor in laughter! Lan Wangji let the love of his life his laughter, and didn't drop the stiff culprit until he was assured Wei Wuxian had coughed out all his laughter!

"Wait a minute, I know this face!" Wei Wuxian hissed when the culprit fell, and he saw the face up close. "How can he be here? Doesn't make sense."

"You know him?"

"Call A'Sang?"

"Why?"

"Tch. Call him Lan Zhan! No time for playing jealous boyfriend."

The word boyfriend was uttered unconsciously! Yet it made Lan Wangji's heart go giddy, "Yes."

"Video call, okay?" Lan Wangji wanted to roll his eyes immediately, but he promised his jealousy was his problem and not Wei Wuxian's. Though, he was praying that Nie Huaisang didn't pick up their call. Alas, gods didn't care for his heart and reverted to the role of jealous boyfriend.

"Aa la! Brother Wangji, is A'Xian with you?" Since he didn't want to answer, he handed his phone to Wei Wuxian.

"Nie Huaisang!"

"Wei Wuxian!"

Flipping the camera, Wei Wuxian asked, "Isn't that Jin Zixuan's cousin?"

"Idiot, give me some distance and light, please!"

Wei Wuxian took few steps back and handed the phone to Lan Wangji who made a protesting face. "Ah yes, sorry, sorry. Lan Zhan you are taller, hold the phone in this position, okay." The tall glorified human phone stand decided to trust his love and ignored Nie Huaisang's face on the screen facing him.

After lighting up few fire talismans, the reaction came loud and clear from the second young master of Nie Sect! "The fuck!"

"It is him? Isn't he? When did he get out of prison?"

"Not until next year!"

"Will you call the police?"

"No. I have a better idea. My boys are picking him. Anything else I should know."

"Here." Wei Wuxian moved his human phone stand and showed Uncle Fourth, spelled to sleep. "He was taken out of care home, blessed and sent to track me. Something is off, right under your and my nose."

"Jiang Cheng didn't do it right?" Nie Huaisang asked, this was not a joke. There was no confidence in his voice. As if trusting Jiang Cheng would burn his soul away. "Right? They used to hang out in the same club"

"Don't be ridiculous. He is not deranged."

"Not yet. At least you have young Lan Wangji with you! I am sending over people. And A'Xian…" Nie Huaisang hesitated. "Forgive me."

"What did you do?"

"You will find out soon."

"A'Sang!"

"Good night, A'Xian, and congratulations on your engagement with young master!" The last words from Nie Huaisang, snubbed all of Lan Wangji's jealousy! He got promoted from boyfriend to fiancé again!

"What the fuck!"

"Wei Ying, language, we have an elderly."

Wei Wuxian replied his former student with a bombastic side-eye and kicked the frozen spell caster hard.

He was not liking any of this.

Is This The Beginning Of A Love Story?

---

A call from Jiang Yanli came three days later while Wei Wuxian was considering the creation of a new talisman to keep Lan Wangji at a considerable distance, after the incident with Uncle Fourth, the young master was not willing to risk anything, "He has filed for five trials."

The words should've surprised Wei Wuxian, but didn't. "I think I know that you prepared for the worst, still this is ridiculous, A'Xian you don't have to attend the trial. Legally, you can miss two hearings. But your brother-in-law spoke to his lawyers, if you miss them, there is a fine, we will pay for the absentee fee. You don't have to bother with his ego trip. Even mum has lost her marbles."

"Is he alright?"

"He got few slaps."

"He is strong as a bull."

"Wei Ying, you don't have to come. Don't worry about fines."

"I have money, sister. It's not the issue of money, we both know." Wei Wuxian tried to keep his voice normal, but the giant brat in his room was already staring at him! His ears were sharper than a bat's.

"Are you with someone? Is it the wrong time?"

"No! No, just Lan Zhan, he is being a child."

"Oh, he has already reached Yiling?"

"Yeah, he has been here for a month now. Wait, wait a minute, you knew about it?"

"Yes, Nie Huaisang told your brother-in-law when they ran into each other in some auction. I was of the impression you knew that he was coming back just visit you, too."

"What is that man doing!" There was a reason why Wei Wuxian didn't want to let Nie Huaisang be part of his divorce plan. But he was the only person Wei Wuxian had since his childhood, he could see his best-friend was taking his revenge on his behalf.

"He is protecting you in his own way."

"He is trying to set me up with Lan Zhan."

Hearing this, Lan Wangji's eyes became darker. Now he was fully involved in this conversation.

"Maybe it is time, you stop caring for people and let others care for you." Jiang Yanli was not exactly comfortable with the idea of her A'Xian no longer with her A'Cheng. But she wanted A'Xian to be loved completely. "Think about it. I will call you later. Your new lawyer will drop by next week."

"Is the lawyer someone we know?"

"She knows you, apparently."

"I can't even."

"It's okay, I will talk to you later."

"Take care. And give love to my babies."

"I will, once I return home."

"Why are you not home?"

"I can't trust mom and dad with the Sect duties, they are incompetent."

"Understandable. But—"

"Don't fret. Not your circus, not your monkeys."

Once the call was disconnected, Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji who was sitting on the old leather couch like a posh cat—innocent and incapable of hurting a bug, but the moment Wei Wuxian took eyes off him, there would be a dead bird as a gift for him.

"Cough it up" Wei Wuxian took the seat opposite Lan Wangji. The younger man didn't need to bring him lunch every day or sit with him, either. It was because of Wei Wuxian's acts of negligence that his reputation was beyond repair, and this man exploited the opportunity. And now that the incident with the poor Uncle Fourth happened, Wei Wuxian was internally a bit freaked out– deep down, Wei Wuxian was praying it was some old enemy who was after him and not the ex-husband. If Nie Huaisang's investigation proved it was Jiang Cheng's involvement, Wei Wuxian wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of making a criminal out of him.

His new colleagues who were in awe of his genius and dedication to the research were equally worried about his health and Lan Wangji told them what happened, how Wei Wuxian's experiments were misused. The colleagues were the first to inform Baoshan Sanren that Wei Wuxian was sleeping in his office and surviving on cups of tea and instant noodles. Now that they learned of this elaborate stalking crime, they were gladly helping Lan Wangji keep Wei Wuxian safe.

And in the twenty-five days that Lan Wangji had been in Yiling, he heard everything he needed to make his case strong in front of everyone.

"Do you miss that man?" The question was not out of the blue, but still shocking because of the disgust Lan Wangji carried in his voice.

"That man has a name."

"Do you miss him?"

"Yes, Lan Zhan, of course, I do. Don't be a dimwit about it, it is thirty years versus one year. But right now I am terrified that I think he would use a cursed technique to find me. If he used his brain logically, he would've found me in three weeks. It is a simple process of elimination of obvious" Wei Wuxian tucked his stray hair behind his ears. He was still not used to short hair. "It is not about love, it's about routine, it's about familiarity. I do not like it, I feel like a chick out of its shell— I— I feel naked, wobbly and lonely. And I am worried about him. I no longer want to go back to him, but I am worried. So spare me those angry eyes."

"How can I help?" Lan Wangji was observing every movement Wei Wuxian was making. When he was angry, he cursed under his breath. When he was nervous, he bit his lips. When he was worried, his hand automatically went for his hair. Right then, Wei Wuxian was nervous.

"I don't know. Tie me up to a tree and hit my head with a log or something until I pass out."

"Wei Ying, that's not a solution. That's a fear response." Lan Wangji gently pulled the fingers that were entangled with Wei Wuxian's hair. "Are you afraid of that man?" Lan Wangji gently replaced Wei Wuxian's fingers with his and combed the soft, silky inky hair.

"No. Don't be silly."

"Then why did you leave the way you did?" Wei Wuxian knew everyone wanted to know why he left the way he left. Lan Wangji was the first one to ask him directly.

"I really don't know. I don't know." Without realizing it, Wei Wuxian tilted his face into the calloused fingers. It was comforting to let someone hold his head. Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and let the hand touch him like a precious flower. Lan Wangji slowly pushed aside the tea table and took the position beside Wei Wuxian on the couch. Soon he found one side of his head pressed to Lan Wangji's chest and the other side covered by his strong big palm.

Wei Wuxian could hear the heartbeat of a Lan. A Lan in love. A Lan who was madly in love with him. "Just forget everything and close your eyes." Lan Wangi began humming a soft tune. Wei Wuxian had heard it twelve years back, he knew what this song was.

Unable to find the emotions to settle on, Wei Wuxian decided to get lost in the melody of a heartbeat and an old tune.

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji softly rubbed his thumb on Wei Wuxian's cheek, "How can I love you better than that man?" The question was addressed to sleeping Wei Wuxian who had no plans of waking up, but he did and heard his soft mumble.

The question made Wei Wuxian look up, unintentionally! His silver-grey eyes torn with pain and desire.

"Did I wake you up?" Lan Wangji didn't let go off his face.

Wei Wuxian shook his head, "One year, five months, eighteen days."

"Sorry?"

"It took me one year, five months, eighteen days to realize it was over." Wei Wuxian took a deep breath. "Loving me won't be easy, you have to understand this, it's not him versus you. It's my past versus me in the present."

Lan Wangji didn't let his hand drop at all, rather, it tightened around the shrunken cheek and caressed the sharp cheekbones with desire. "You think I don't understand?" He lifted Wei Wuxian's face, and observed him with his golden eyes. There was bubbling want, a dangerous desire contained behind the ember eyes. "You think I don't understand? Just because you have more experience with physical and emotional intimacy doesn't mean you know everything, Wei Ying." Lan Wangji snaked his other hand around Wei Wuxian not gently. Wei Wuxian was burning with uneasiness and feelings that could burn his little world.

"Lan Zhan—"

"Stop feeling guilty. What happened with Uncle Fourth was unfortunate. If the crime was done by that man, it was not your fault. He exploited your relations and goodwill again." Lan Wangji nuzzled his nose in Wei Wuxian's neck. "Being kind and caring shouldn't hurt you, Wei Ying." Inhaling his odour like an opium addict, Lan Wangji kissed the spot beneath Wei Wuxian jaw and neck. The warm breath of his former student lit sparks of anxiety and hunger in Wei Wuxian's belly. Unable to tackle this bear hug, he decided it was better to be reasonable. Wei Wuxian had spent thirty years catering to the whims of a pampered, rotten man. The teen Lan Wangji in his head was stubborn and pampered too, but not beyond reason, so he offered the most logical response.

"I will never stop feeling guilty of what I did to you!" Wei Wuxian punched Lan Wangji's chest to break free from his embrace and push him away. But deep down he could never hurt Lan Wangji, the punch felt like nothing but a gentle pat to that sturdy body. Wei Wuxian tried to escape, but his attempts were thwarted. "You should be angry at me! Not court me. I ruined your reputation. I ruined your life."

"Wei Ying did no such thing."

"I wrote you the letter." Wei Wuxian, feeling overwhelmed, began to cry. "I wrote the letter! I shouldn't have replied to you. Because I replied, your father found out. It was my fault."

"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji cupped his former teacher's face with both his hands and took a deep breath.

"It was not your letter. I don't know what you heard. You didn't expose my sexuality to my father."

"What do you mean?"

"I—"

Wei Wuxian regained some of his composure and pulled away and sat a few inches away, his teary eyes concentrated hard on the young man opposite him, "Lan Wangji tell me the truth."

"I don't want to hurt you further."

Wei Wuxian knew Lan Wangji couldn't lie. So he avoided telling the truth. A man who had lost and given up on everything, thought he was immune to further hurt. With that confidence, he asked, "What more can hurt me?"

"Something should remain in past."

"TELL ME!"

"Your ex-husband had come down to deliver the letter personally and challenged me to a duel."

"WHAT? But—-"

"I am not lying."

"But your brother told me your father found the letter."

"I asked my brother to lie to you."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to hurt you more."

"What?" Wei Wuxian suddenly felt terror. He was hearing this for the first time. "But how? I made sure the letter was sent without any interference. How did he find it, and why did he, he—"

"…"

"You know how? Lan Zhan."

"Wei Ying was confident that he had trusted people around him."

"No! No! No!" Wei Wuxian shook his head. "I sent it via the post, not a delivery man or maid. I wanted to go to Gusu, but I couldn't bear to hurt you further. So I sealed it and sent it. I had my seal. My bloody seal."

"Wei Ying." Lan Wangji took another deep breath and touched their foreheads. "Jiang Wanyin, is obsessed with you. You don't realize it, but he is obsessed with you."

"He is not." Wei Wuxian was crying and laughing. "You have the wrong impression of him. Arrogant yes, angry yes, quick to pick a fight with me yes! Jealous, yes. But obsessed with me, not."

"Wei Ying, you were being observed after you returned. He was so scared of losing you that he was reading every letter you were writing to people and when he saw one being sent to Gusu he couldn't help himself."

"But—"

"But?"

"It was sealed."

"After living so many years with you, did he not pick up a thing or two from you?" Wei Wuxian couldn't refute this, it is true, he had taught his ex-husband many spells and tricks. He never expected him to peep into his private letters. Why did he think that man was punching anyone and everyone for confessing their love to Wei Wuxian when they were teenagers? Why did he think his jealousy would stop at 23?

"You were just a child."

"A child in love with you."

"I wouldn't ever leave him for a teenager. What was he thinking?" The guilt Wei Wuxian had been carrying for a dozen years skyrocketed, he pulled Lan Wangji's hands to his eyes. "I am sorry, I am sorry! I am so sorry!"

"Wei Ying, it was not your fault."

"What do you mean?" Wei Wuxian was an expert at self-blaming and taking the blame for his ex-husband's actions. "He saw the letter because I wrote it to you. He exposed your sexuality to your Sect because I wrote the letter. It is all my fault. You were outed because of my foolishness."

"Wei Ying! Stop blaming yourself."

"I—" the words were stuck in his throat, they were words of apology, sincere apologies, but ineffective. The damage was done. Wei Wuxian had trusted his own trust in his ex-husband too much.

After the one year they had spent apart, Jiang Cheng had become overly conscious about his fiancé. Wei Wuxian had dismissed it as the euphoria of reunion; because at that time, he had never thought the man he loved so much would hurt someone Wei Wuxian cared for.

Wei Wuxian had never lied to him, when someone made a pass on him, he would tell Jiang Cheng, when he began receiving marriage proposals from different sects because of their delayed wedding dates, Wei Wuxian had told him. And when a young teenager from Gusu had asked for his hand in marriage, Wei Wuxian had told him. Jiang Cheng had made a funny face and laughed that he would hide Wei Wuxian in the treasury of Lotus Pier.

And when the ex-husband had asked, what was going to be Wei Wuxian's reply— he told him that he would send a rejection letter explaining why he can't accept a marriage proposal. After that, Jiang Cheng had never brought the subject up until months later, when Wei Wuxian learned of Lan Wangji's hushed departure from his brother's mouth. He only brought up the topic because he had found Wei Wuxian sobbing at the thought of outing a child.

By that time, the child was gone. His contact information was confined and no matter what Wei Wuxian did he could never get in touch with his former student.

When he mentioned his grief over having caused harm to Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng consoled him, saying it was not his fault. Rather, he had insisted it was not Wei Wuxian's fault but the error of the gods.

Now Wei Wuxian knew why, the final stitch that was holding in his affection for Jiang Cheng, burned away.

Wei Wuxian had read in multiple books that when love left the heart, the body ached in agony.

Every cell in his body was paining; shame, anger, betrayal and sorrow overcame him. Tears were not enough, and words of apologies were not enough. The silent rage he had felt the day he walked out of his home reignited, devouring the little pieces of love he was holding on to.

Vultures had settled in the four chambers of his heart, scavenging for the leftover affection sticking to the carcass.

There was a funeral in his heart.

He was unable to breathe, his entire body was burning, Lan Wangji immediately placed his palm on Wei Wuxian's mouth, "Wei Ying, breathe from your nose. Don't think. Just breathe."

Wei Wuxian did as he was told, one breath at a time.

One breath at a time.

When Lan Wangji was assured his former teacher was stable, he let go of his mouth, "Relax, Wei Ying." Wei Wuxian looked up, and Lan Wangji was taken aback by the eyes staring at him.

He had always heard of the raging flames in Jiang Consort's eyes. The grey-silver were dyed in crimson, this was the infamous Wei Wuxian the entire cultivation world feared, Lan Wangji didn't fear him at all. But looking at him made Lan Wangji excited.

And he was just glad he could finally witness the glory.

"Stay away," Wei Wuxian pushed Lan Wangji, who was surprised by the force in his thin hands. It was merely a soft push, but the force behind was tremendous and unexpected, hence he found himself on the floor. But that didn't stop him from coming back.

He offered his hands, and took the seat again,"Wei Ying."

"You don't want you to see this."

"I know your eyes turn red. I have heard of it."

"But you have not seen it. Go away. I don't want to harm you."

"Is it because you are tapping into the resentment energy?"

"Did Huaisang tell you about this?"

"No."

"Who?"

"You lost weight."

"Anyone can lose weight, Lan Zhan."

"You don't use spiritual powers like you used to, though you fly your sword, you calculate the distance, you no longer carry your sword with you all the time, you constantly shift between talismans and tools, I know, you always have used tools more than your own powers— but you are always cautious. And you have nightmares of something which makes you shiver, and you turn cold every night."

"These are common symptoms of heartbreak."

"Wei Ying— You don't have to hide."

"Can you pretend you don't know?"

"I cannot."

"Please. I—"

"—But I will not bring it up, until and unless you bring it up. Will Wei Ying accept this?"

Wei Wuxian felt the knots of anxiety leave his body, "Yes."

Lan Wangji was back in his personal space, demanding to be let in like a house cat asking for attention, "I can handle it."

Wei Wuxian pushed his former pupil further away this time into the other room, which gave him enough time to stand up, he was going to run. The red eyes were crying, and the corner of his mouth had twisted with anger, "Lan Wangji I don't want to hurt you!" Finding no reaction of fear, Wei Wuxian softly added, "Again."

But he couldn't speak any more, Lan Wangji ran back to him, pulled his pale ghost-like face to his warm jade-like face and kissed him.

Both Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian knew if Wei Wuxian wanted, he could break Lan Wangji's spine in seconds and end this, but he never would. Lan Wangji didn't move his lips, despite keeping them glued to his former tutor's plump lips. His hands had cupped his waist and nape. He was expecting a slap, if not a slap, a punch, but Wei Wuxian never ceased to surprise him.

Wei Wuxian opened his lips, and let the young man enter his mouth.

Lan Wangji had only dreamed of touching, kissing and fucking Wei Wuxian. Now that Wei Wuxian had let him access his warm mouth, the man was capable of making a move. His heartbeat was thumping like a herd of running elephants. His nervous fingers dug into Wei Wuxian's slim waist and skull, yet his lips remained stupefied.

Wei Wuxian sent his calculations off the charts.

A frustrated groan escaped from a frustrated Wei Wuxian's lips, like a lioness on the hunt he was angry and hungry for more. He grabbed Lan Wangji's face from both sides and decided to force his tongue into that pretty mouth that had been bothering him for days.

Internally he was screaming, his heart was angry, his body was touch starved, and his mind wanted comfort.

All these years he had lived with guilt because he thought he had hurt his precious student. All these years he had restrained himself from being greedy and took a step back. All because he wanted to show his ex-husband that he loved him.

All these years he had done a disservice to himself.

Wei Wuxian had decided, he was going to love again, he was going to love again openly. He was going to kiss in public, he was going to wear whatever clothes he wanted in public, he was going to love shamelessly, and he was going to love again with pride. He was going to dye the pure white world of his former student with the crimson of passion.

Wei Wuxian was going to love Lan Wangji.

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TBC

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DON'T YOU DARE WRITE WHERE IS NEXT CHAPTER! I WILL BITE YOU!

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Hi, sooooooo this chapter is long 25k+

Foremost: I turned 30 on July 14! Though, the entire month of July Was a terrible month for me! I almost lost my job, my solo trip got cancelled, and I spiralled to worst. Anyway, I started typing this chapter during that time of uncertainty, so I channelled a lot of my sadness in this chapter. So bear with it, okay!

The plot thickens from this chapter! Yes it does, what's divorce drama without some crime! There will be some uncomfortable topics, like mention of blood magic via self-harm, torture via magic and physical abuse. Nothing in details yet, yet. And there will be more anti-Jiang Cheng stories from the past, but it's for the story, okay! I don't want a twitter war happening in comment sections! Absolutely not!

Some of the magic things I added on my own, like three types of spells: charm, curse/possession and blessing.

Basically, they are in the realm of forbidden magic in this universe, only people with licence can use them and in licence there are grades, Wei Wuxian is one of the rarest Cultivators who has permission to go super-saiyan, Lan Wangji not yet. I will explain them in coming chapters.

As I have said before, my Wei Wuxian is once in a millennia genius in this story. I love making him super-intelligent like Sherlock, but he is more like da Vinci, so he is a suffering genius with a bleeding heart. And some of you complained, did Wei Wuxian never fight back? You will have your answers here, hehehe!

And kudos and comments really make me happy, they are a substitute for happy pills at this point! So yes, this is me telling, hype me up.

And if you have story complaints or questions about this story, my Tumblr khepiari and twitter open paulOaries are open. If you are reading this via our Facebook Group, I actually don't use Facebook Messenger any more as they keep asking for my phone number!

So yeah, if you love the story leave comments here, in this story not anywhere else! I need them archived here!

AND DON'T YOU DARE ASK WHEN IS THE NEXT CHAPTER COMING! I WILL BITE YOU!