Work Text:
Lan Xi Chen sighed into his fourth cup of tea, barely feeling the heat on his tongue as his mind wandered over to the various regrets that had been plaguing him since Jin Guangyao’s death. Again. These days it seemed that his regrets were not only limited to the crimes of his sworn brother Meng Yao but every single thing in his life that he wished could have gone differently. Wang Ji’s cold, stern and colorless upbringing. Not helping the Jiang Sect in their time of need. Abandoning the weak and helpless Wen remnants and becoming a silent spectator in their pitiful end. Becoming an unintentional ally in the event of the demise of his brother-in-law, Wei Wuxian, which in turn destroyed his brother for 13 years. Not confessing his delicate feelings to the Jiang Sect Leader, on whom he had been crushing on for a good fifteen years. The loss of the Nie Sect Leader whom he had considered as his older brother, confidant and friend. And now, here he was, isolating himself in his house in the name of seclusion and healing but all he seemed to be doing was scratching his wounds raw and wallowing in self pity.
All in all, he was feeling very helpless.
A frantic banging on the door snapped Lan Xi Chen out of his reverie and he directed a frown towards the door. He had been in seclusion for more than a year and everybody in Gusu Lan knew not to disturb him, all grievances directed towards his younger brother, the acting Sect Leader. He would open the door only once a week for his family. But today wasn’t that day. He wasn’t supposed to have any visitors today.
Xi Chen sighed, hoping that if he ignored the knocks they would go away. But of course, he had never been good at ignoring people and the person on the other side of the door seemed hell-bent on meeting him today.
“Xi Chen- Ge! Xi Chen- Ge! Please open the door!” came a loud voice from the other end.
‘Wei Wuxian’, Xi Chen sighed. Who else would have the nerve to bang on doors in the silence of the Cloud Recesses. Xi Chen stood up with a heavy sigh and wrapped a loose outer robe around his thinning shoulders. He paused, just behind the closed doors, and took a deep breath, slapping a polite albeit strained smile on his face.
“A-Xian, forgive-,” Xi Chen began but stopped the very second his eyes fell on his panting brother-in-law. It seemed like his brother-in-law had rushed out of bed. More like, got kicked out of bed. His brother-in-law, who was currently (barely) wrapped in just a white, loose outer robe- Wang Ji’s robe to be specific- a sleeve of which had slipped way past his shoulder as he barely held it together with a trembling hand. His legs and feet were bare, his untied, unruly hair framed his chiseled face and his eyes were wide in- Terror? Lan Xi Chen did not know if he felt scandalized or worried.
It was the look of absolute terror in Wei Wuxian’s eyes that sent chills down his spine. There was only one thing- one person- that could get Wei Wuxian so unsettled.
“You need to come with me!” Wuxian wheezed, hands clutching tighter on his wrinkled robe. “It’s Lan Zhan!”
That was enough to get Xi Chen out of his Hanshi and running full speed towards his brother’s Jingshi, rules be damned. It was his first time out of the Hanshi in a whole year but all he could think about was his DiDi, his little brother. They reached the Jingshi within seconds and Lan Xi Chen threw the doors open with a loud thud, expecting to see his younger brother covered in blood and injuries but all he saw was a child. An oddly familiar child, sitting on the center of the bed in white robes that were about five sizes bigger, silent tears streaming down his face. Lan Xi Chen was suddenly hit with a strong sense of déjà vu as his mind flashed back to a younger Lan Wang Ji who had cried similarly post their mother’s death. Lan Xi Chen being just two years older than Wang Ji, couldn’t guarantee that his childhood memories were very strong and intact but he was almost sure that the crying child on Wang Ji’s bed was Wang Ji himself.
Lan Xi Chen froze, gaping at the sight ahead of him. He threw a questioning look towards his brother-in-law, who did not seem to be faring any better.
“What- How did this happen?” he finally asked.
“I have no idea, XiChen-Ge,” WuXian shrugged pitifully. “I woke up to him growling, ‘Who are you? How dare you sleep in my bed? Where are your clothes? Why are you naked? Shameless!’”, he mimicked with a childish voice and Xi Chen folded his lips, holding back a smile. “I tried talking to him but he kept pushing me away and I felt like a kidnapper kidnapping a child and I didn’t want him to start a commotion because if he drew Lan Qi Ren out of his house, then I’d be truly screwed. He barely let me cover myself with the nearest robe and I swear to god Xi Chen-ge this absolutely cold and scathing look that he had – um - has in his eyes-,” he trailed off with a shudder.
Xi Chen finally gathered the courage to approach his brother and as he stepped closer, Little Wang Ji shot a wary look towards the older Lan. But maybe because Xi Chen was dressed in his sect’s usual blues, Lan Wang Ji seemed to allow him to come closer.
Lan Xi Chen kneeled in front of the bed and stared into his brother’s golden orbs that were now filled with only innocence, contrary to the devastating effects the war had left on him. “Wang Ji,” he began softly, placing a hand on his brother’s tiny shoulder and his heart constricted when his little brother cowered in front of him. “A-Zhan,” he tried again, aiming for some familiarity. “It’s me Huan-Ge. I know I look very different right now but I am your older brother, Lan Huan.”
Little Wang Ji narrowed his tear-filled eyes disbelievingly.
“I know that things seem a little confusing right now, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that for me?” he continued in a soothing tone.
Little Wang Ji’s lips curled into a frown. “I want my Muqin,” he said in a tiny, pitiful voice, more tears spilling out of his reddened eyes.
Xi Chen froze. Wei Wuxian cursed under his breath.
“A-Xian, put some clothes on and go fetch my uncle,” Xi Chen ordered, tilting his head towards his brother-in-law.
“Ugh, Xi Chen-Ge. Can’t we deal with this on our own? Lan Qi Ren is going to kill me!” whined Wei Wuxian.
“The only person that A-Zhan would be able to recognize and trust is our uncle. So, we’re going to need his help,” Xi Chen said, his patience running thin. “And as long as you had nothing to do with this situation, uncle will not kill you. Now, please go and get my uncle here.”
Wei Wuxian immediately scrambled towards their closet and pulled on his clothes in record time and put up his messy mane in a loose bun and bolted out the door.
Xi Chen turned towards his brother. “A-Zhan, Muqin cannot meet us now because she has gone to a faraway place,” he said, his voice placating.
“No!” Wang Ji shouted. “She promised that she would always be with me! You’re lying! You’re not my brother! Ge would know about Muqin’s promise!”
Xi Chen’s eyes widened at the little tantrum that his brother had just thrown. Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever imagined his Wang Ji to throw a tantrum. Even when their mother had passed away, Wang Ji had merely cried in defiance, refusing to believe their uncle’s words, and eventually, his defiant tears had turned to tears of resignation. Back then, he had wished for his brother to scream and cry for their mother in his arms but his brother hadn’t ever come to him. And now there he was, his little brother, screaming and crying for their mother and Xi Chen did not have the faintest clue as to what to do.
Thankfully, he was saved from saying anything else by the entry of his uncle, Lan Qi Ren. Lan Qi Ren, who hadn’t yet noticed the child in the room, continued to reprimand his nephew’s husband regarding his unruly appearance which was unbefitting of the husband of the Chief Cultivator and his lack of manners for dragging him out of his house without even allowing him to wrap a loose outer robe around his shoulders.
“Shufu,” Xi Chen called out softly. “We’ve got a problem.”
Lan Qi Ren’s eyes snapped to his older nephew and widened by a fraction, shocked to see him out of his Hanshi. “Xi Chen, what are you-,” he trailed off as his eyes landed on the child sitting on Wang Ji’s bed. He did not know if he should be more concerned for his older nephew who looked like the living dead or his younger nephew, for obvious reasons.
Little Wang Ji, after being surrounded by strange men was finally relieved to see a familiar face. He stepped down from the bed, with a grace that did not belong in a child of his age and speed walked to his uncle.
“Shufu,” he greeted with a well memorized deep bow. “Shufu, there are strange men in my room. I’d like it if they could leave,” he said coldly with a tear-streaked face, eliciting a painful gasp from Wei Wuxian.
Lan Qi Ren blinked. Once. Twice. “I need to sit down,” he finally grunted. He sat behind the table and gestured for everyone to take a seat as well. He could feel a headache brewing at the back of his head. “You,” he said, pointing at a pouting Wei Wuxian, “What blunder have you committed now? Explain from the beginning.”
“I didn’t do anything. I swear!” Wuxian exclaimed, holding up three fingers. “There were some problems with water ghouls in the outskirts of Caiyi, so Lan Zhan and I went to check it out yesterday. It was a simple hunt and was over almost as soon as it began. On our way back we stopped by the Fuxing temple, paid our respects and we were home by nightfall. And then-,” his voice broke. He cleared his throat, willing the tears out of his eyes, “I woke up this morning to Lan Zhan screaming at me to get out of his bed and room, and I-,”
“Why are you calling me Lan Zhan? My name is Lan Wang Ji. Only family can call me Lan Zhan,” little Wang Ji’s words were like the sharp blade of Bichen against Wei Wuxian’s throbbing heart.
Wei Wuxian visibly wilted at those words and Lan Xi Chen resisted the strong urge to wrap him up in a comforting hug.
“Wang Ji,” Lan Qi Ren reprimanded. “Do not disrespect an adult.”
Now it was Wang Ji’s turn to wither under his uncle’s sharp gaze. “Pardon me, Shufu. But I don’t understand why there are strangers in my room. And this young master is calling himself my Huan Ge,” he accused, pointing a tiny finger at Lan Xi Chen. “Lying is forbidden as well,” he stated.
Lan Qi Ren was proud of his nephew. He really was. No matter how difficult his upbringing was, his nephew had proved himself to be a model Lan time and time again. “Wang Ji,” he said softly. “He is not lying. He is your brother, Lan Xi Chen.”
“A-Zhan, I know you are probably very confused right now but there’s an explanation to all of this,” Xi Chen said tenderly, covering his brother’s hand with his own. “Huan-Ge will sort this all out for you.”
Lan Qi Ren’s eyes flitted between his youngest nephew and his oldest nephew and he was overcome with a strong sense of nostalgia. He thought of a young Xi Chen trying to do anything in his capacity to draw his brother out of his shell. Watching a young Wang Ji relive his childhood in the emotionless way that he had nurtured him, was making his heart hurt. Especially after he had seen the myriad of emotions that his nephew was capable of feeling. And his oldest, whom he hadn’t properly talked to since the latter’s seclusion, looked frail and just as clueless and pitiful as he did when he was ten. Now that he was getting all grey and dull, his nephews had started to become a priority over his Sect. All he wanted was for his nephews to be healthy and happy. Suddenly he froze, as an idea lit up in his head. A brilliant idea. An idea that would surely benefit Wang Ji and at the same time, be a beacon of light in Xi Chen’s life. But he needed help. And there was only one man that could help him right now. Ugh.
Wei Wuxian’s calculating eyes roamed over the pair of siblings and his gaze immediately landed on his now silent uncle-in-law, who was already staring at him with a foreign look in his eyes. And just like that, a silent understanding seemed to pass between them.
‘Do something,’ Lan Qi Ren’s eyes spoke.
‘Wha-? Give me a few seconds to think at least!’ Wei Wuxian’s wide eyes seemed to retort.
“A- actually,” Wei Wuxian suddenly began with a stutter. “There was something else that I forgot to mention.” He took a deep breath, trying to come up with a legible story. “On our way back from the temple, um, Lan Zhan found a lone, huh, hu-hydrangea lying in the middle of the road. As he picked it up, the flower-um-withered to ashes. It was,” he cleared his throat, “weird but Lan Zhan and I were so tired, that we pushed it to the back of our minds and rushed home,” he finished in a rush, sweat brewing on his forehead. He honestly did not know where he was going with that story (neither do I!!) but he prayed to all that was mighty that Lan Xi Chen would buy it.
“A hydrangea?” Xi Chen asked, frowning in confusion.
“Yes yes! Hydrangea!” Wei Wuxian piped up. There was sweat gathering on his brow and his usual carefree smile looked a tiny bit strained.
“A-Xian, are you alright?” Xi Chen asked, worry evident in his voice.
“What? Of course, I am!” Wei Wuxian replied with a bigger (and slightly creepier?) smile. “Let me go and check in the library and ask around in Caiyi town if anybody has heard anything about this wretched flower. The townsfolk will surely know something. But I can’t do this alone. I’d need help. I don’t think uncle would mind helping me out a little here. After all, it concerns his nephew. And his experience and knowledge would surely be of huge help. We’ll do our research and get back to you, Xi Chen Ge. Until then, you take care of our Little Lan-Er-Gege,” he ranted, jumping on his feet and holding a hand out for his uncle-in-law.
Never in his wildest imaginations would Lan Qi Ren have thought to be a part of a lie but it was Wei Wuxian who had lied and he was merely going along with it. So technically, he was not breaking any rules. Was he?
Before Lan Xi Chen could voice out his opinions, his uncle and Wei Wuxian had already high tailed out of the room in a flurry of robes. ‘That was weird. Since when were they so close?’ he thought with a frown marring his face. His eyes shot to his little brother who was staring at him with mildly distrustful eyes and flattened lips.
“Well, it’s just you and me then, A-Zhan,” Xi Chen said, trying to sound at least a little bit excited at the prospect of being left alone with his childlike younger brother but all he felt was a sense of impending doom.
“Mn,” Wang Ji hummed blankly and looked away.
After all, it was just his baby brother. A baby brother whom he had once taken care of. How hard could it be to do it again?
<<<< >>>>
It was hard, alright.
Lan Xi Chen hummed into his tea in displeasure as he watched his little brother- now clothed in robes that actually fit him- read the Book of Rules with such interest that one would believe that he was reading it for the absolute first time.
‘Oh, this won’t do. This won’t do at all,’ he thought.
“A-Zhan, how about we go into Caiyi town and have some fun?” he asked.
“No, thank you.”
“Come on, A-Zhan. Perhaps you would enjoy a stroll and some sweets over the boring book that you are reading?” he tried again.
“It’s the Book of Rules,” Little Wang Ji replied coldly. ‘Did you just call the Book of Rules boring?’ was left unsaid.
Xi Chen flushed under his brother’s narrowed gaze. But he was not going to give up until Wang Ji did some normal children’s stuff and had fun. If Wang Ji was stubborn then Xi Chen was his older brother. He leaned over the table, pulled the book from Wang Ji’s grasp and closed it shut.
“I’d like to buy some new brushes, A-Zhan. And also some parchment. Surely you would accompany your lonely brother to the town,” he said with pitifully wide eyes and a not so subtle pout, fully aware of how easy it was guilt trip his brother.
“Fine,” Little Wang Ji huffed.
Xi Chen grabbed one of his brother’s - older Wang Ji’s - outer robes and slipped into it. After making sure that the little one was also bundled up, the sibling duo left for town.
<<< >>>
‘I thought Sect Leader Lan was in seclusion,’ a woman whispered to her husband.
‘I did not know that Sect Leader Lan had a son,’ another gushed.
‘Aiyah! That is not his son,’ another whined.
‘But the child looks just like Zewujun!’
And the gossips continued as the Twin Jades of Lan walked through the market place pointedly ignoring the ridiculous speculations of the townsfolk. Lan Xi Chen smiled politely at all the vendors and familiar faces whereas Little Wang Ji silently walked next to his brother.
“Zewujun! Lan Zongzhu! Try this Yuébing (Mooncake). It’s freshly made!” called out an old lady from behind a stall.
“A-Zhan, do you want some Yuébing?” Xi Chen asked.
“I’m not hungry,” Little Wang Ji replied blankly.
Lan Xi Chen sighed and turned to the various carts of tassels and kerchiefs and toys, hoping that his brother would show some sort of interest. He stopped at a cart filled with brushes in different styles and sizes. Truth be told, he did not need any brushes or parchment. It was merely an excuse to get his brother out. But now that they were here already, he thought he might as well buy some.
“A-Zhan, the brushes-,” he stopped, as his eyes caught sight of red and blue robes ducking behind a wall in his periphery but before he could ponder or investigate more on it, his gaze fell on a silent Lan Zhan staring unblinkingly at a cart selling Tanghulus. ‘Finally,’ thought Xi Chen. “A-Zhan,” he began softly, trying to reign in his smile as the last thing he needed was to snap his little A-Zhan out of his current desire. “I would like to eat some Tanghulus. Would my DiDi be kind enough to join me?”
Little Wang Ji’s innocent eyes flitted between his brother and the delicious looking Tanghulu. “Mn,” he finally replied.
Xi Chen smiled softly and daringly took a hold of his little brother’s hand. ‘Oh, his hands are so small,’ he wanted to coo. Wang Ji, on the other hand was so preoccupied with staring at the old man making the Tanghulus that he barely registered his brother’s hold on him.
“Come on then,” Xi Chen smiled in glee, as he walked hand in hand with his little brother over to the Tanghulu stand.
“Da-ye, can we please have two Tanghulus and two more to go?”
“Lan Zongzhu,” bowed the man behind the cart. “This old man is honored to have you try my delicacies. Give me a moment and I’ll prepare some fresh Tanghulus for you and this Xiao Gongzi.”
“Thank you, Da-Ye” Xi Chen bowed courteously. He watched little Wang Ji’s eyes follow the old man, eyes not leaving the Tanghulu in the old man’s grasp. Xi Chen felt a pang in his heart, a pang of joy that his brother was getting to experience a childhood that he never had or a pang of pain and disappointment that his brother did not get the childhood he deserved, was not clear. He knew that Wang Ji, for a very long time, considered himself not normal, as he struggled to live like the other playful disciples. He had always wondered if his brother’s reserve and aloof nature could have been avoided if he had had a more open and lively childhood, but then again there was no way to know. He didn’t know if his feeble attempt at giving his brother the kind of childhood that he had always wished for him would make much of a difference now, but he sure as hell hoped that when his brother returned, he would retain this simple day somewhere deep in his memories and just maybe, maybe he would feel a sense of normality.
“Here you go, Xiao Gongzi,” said the old man, holding out a delicious looking Tanghulu out to Wang Ji.
Wang Ji’s tiny hands reached out to take the Tanghulu, but stopped halfway through as he turned to his brother, seeming to ask for permission.
“Go for it, A-Zhan,” Xi Chen encouraged with a fond smile.
Wang Ji carefully took the Tanghulu and examined it from all angles. He stared and stared and stared before he took a tentative bite from it, chewing slowly. He seemed to be pleased with whatever he tasted as he shot a cute little smile towards the Old Man and just like that, Xi Chen’s Tanghulu wasn’t the only thing that melted at the adorable sight.
<<<< >>>>
It was minutes after their Tanghulu’s were long gone that Xi Chen realized there was nothing left in Caiyi that was of his brother’s interest. He thought long and hard about all the things that his beloved brother loved to do as a child but the only hobbies he could come with were reading and calligraphy. So he decided to switch tactics and thought long and hard about what his beloved brother loved to do in his adulthood and bingo!
He silently, took a hold of his brother’s sticky little hands and marched up to the Cloud recesses, with only one destination in mind. The meadow near the waterfalls that were filled with fluffy rabbits. His brother’s precious little friends/children. If his adult brother loved them, then surely little Wang Ji would love them too?
Lan Xi Chen smiled at the disciples guarding the gate as they hastily bowed to him, failing miserably at hiding the shock of seeing their Sect Leader out of seclusion.
“Zewujun, you’re out-, I mean, you’re bac-, uh, I mean it’s so good to see you!” stutteringly exclaimed one of the disciples.
“Lan Xu, it’s good to see you too. Have you been practicing your Dizi well?” Xi Chen asked politely.
“Yes, Zongzhu,” he replied with poorly hidden pride. “Wei Laoshi said that I’m getting almost better than him.”
“I’ll have to take A-Xian’s word for it then,” Xi Chen said with a smile as he watched the two disciples exchange confused glances at the child whose hand he was holding. “Well, I’ll have to get going now. I’ll see you around,” he said walking away, not giving them a chance to throw around any questions.
“Where are we going, Xiongzhang?” came a quiet voice from beside him as they walked towards the meadow.
“Someplace that I think you will love, DiDi,” Xi Chen replied fondly.
The second they entered the meadow and Little Wang Ji caught sight of the white fluffy creatures lazily grazing around, he let out a shriek of delight, startling both himself and his brother.
Xi Chen almost fist bumped the air. Almost. It was a very close call.
“Aren’t pets not allowed in Cloud Recesses, Xiongzhang?” came an innocent but nervous question from his little brother. For Little Wang Ji, this scene was almost too good to be true.
“Indeed. Pets aren’t allowed in the Cloud Recesses,” Xi Chen replied. As he watched his little brother’s face fall, he immediately corrected, “Pets aren’t allowed. But these rabbits aren’t pets, Wang Ji. They don’t belong to anyone. They live here. Just like us.”
Little Wang Ji brightened up like the lanterns during a festival as he beamed up at his brother. And for the first time in his entire life, Xi Chen was left speechless by the sheer amount of childlike joy in his brother’s eyes. If only he had known that all it took was a rabbit to bring out this side of his brother, he’d have brought one (or a thousand) a long time back from even the deepest pits of hell!
“Go ahead, Wang Ji,” he choked, with a watery smile. “You can play with them. Just be gentle and do not startle them with sudden movements. I believe they will recognize you.”
Wang Ji tiptoed to the center of the meadow and just like that, all the rabbits seemed to migrate towards him. He kneeled down and giggled at a rabbit’s futile attempts at climbing up through his slippery robes and very gingerly wrapped one hand around its underbelly and the other under its hind and brought it up to his face level.
Xi Chen sat against a nearby tree and watched his brother very adorably gaze into the red rubies of the rabbit’s eyes and rub their noses together. ‘Oh my. He’s going to be the death of me,’ he thought, but even he couldn’t stop a smile from blooming on his face. He watched his brother pay cautious attention to every single rabbit, murmuring sweet nothings to them and as they all buried him in a fluff of white, all he heard was the resonance of that sweet laugh that he had never heard before followed by a delighted outcry of, “Ge, they’re tickling me!”
If Lan Xi Chen wiped away a tear or two before he went to help out his brother, there wasn’t anybody to see it.
Except for the unlikely pair of one in blue and the other in black, hiding at a distance behind a thick bush, as they gushed at the adoring sight that they had the fortune to witness.
<<< >>>
“Ge,” called out Little Wang Ji, softly.
“Yes, A-Zhan?” replied Xi Chen, sitting on Wang Ji’s bed side and tucking the blankets tighter around his younger sibling.
“Who was that man in my room earlier this morning?” he asked curiously.
“That was your husband, A-Zhan,” Xi Chen replied.
“Husband?” Wang Ji echoed.
Xi Chen watched the conflict in his brother’s eyes silently. His brother seemed to have a lot of questions and Xi Chen was willing to answer every single one of them. But, Little Wang Ji just settled on one.
“Does he love me, Ge?” he asked innocently.
“Very much so. And you love him just as much,” Xi Chen answered, as a satisfactory gleam settled into his brother’s eyes.
For a few minutes, neither spoke a single word, simply lost in their thoughts. Finally, Wang Ji asked, “Why were the disciples at the gate so shocked at seeing you? And the townsfolk also said something about seclusion?”
Xi Chen hadn’t expected his younger sibling to pick up on the reactions of the townsfolk and his disciples. But then again, it was Wang Ji. And Wang Ji was naturally a very attentive person. “Ah,” he began, trying to find the right words. “Ge committed some mistakes which hurt a lot of people,” he said finally.
“Not possible,” Little Wang Ji immediately countered, startling Xi Chen. “Ge will not hurt anybody unless he has no other choice left.”
Xi Chen’s heart warmed at the innocent trust behind those words. He was sure that the older Wang Ji would not agree with his younger self. “Your older self would think otherwise, A-Zhan.”
“I trust Ge and I love Ge. Whatever happens, I would not blame Ge for something that he could not avoid,” Wang Ji said after a pause, picking his words carefully.
“But what if I could have avoided it? I could have saved so many lives and I could have saved you from the pain of losing a loved one,” Xi Chen replied.
“If you could have avoided it, you would have avoided it,” Wang Ji stated confidently. “You could spend the rest of your life thinking about the ‘what ifs’ and miss out on the rest of your life. Like father did.”
Xi Chen was stunned into silence. Never had he thought of his situation to be similar to his father’s. But it was, wasn’t it? Lan Xi Chen had just become the one person that he absolutely did not want to become. He may not have loved Meng Yao like his father had loved his mother. But ultimately, here he was locking himself away from his family and the entire cultivation world for the crimes of a person that was now dead.
He had forgotten that his little brother had always been wise beyond his age. And to hear such grown up words from a little child was in turn making him feel like a child. “Ah A-Zhan. Look at you sounding all grown up. Looks like you don’t need your Ge anymore,” he finally said fondly.
“A-Zhan will always need his Ge. Even if he is all old and grey,” Little Wang Ji replied with a toothy smile.
“Alright alright,” Xi Chen huffed, patting his little sibling’s hand. “It’s time to sleep now.”
“Mn,” Little Wang Ji hummed, sliding his eyes shut with a peaceful smile on his lips.
That night as Lan Xi Chen watched his Little Brother sleep, he realized something. He had locked himself away in seclusion hoping to heal and move on from his past but all he felt was tired and suffocated with every passing day. And today, he had successfully spent an entire day that was not once marred by his painful memories. Locking himself away was only going to give his demon a power to destroy him. Especially when the said demon was already dead. But his family and his Sect, they were all alive. And so was he.
It was time for him to fix his mistakes and his regrets before they consume him. Like it did with his father. It was time for him to fix himself so that he could go back to being a loving brother, a respectful nephew, a doting uncle, a revered Sect Leader and above all, the person that he wanted himself to be. A particular purple clad human being that he wanted to be with. He knew that his healing still had a long way to go but he was now a step closer to his goal. And with that realization came something that he hadn’t felt in a really long time. He felt at peace, as the stone that was weighing on his heart had finally been lifted. And at last, he felt alive.
<<< EXTRA 1 >>>
Wang Ji woke up with a gasp, startling Xi Chen awake.
“A-Zhan, is everyth-, you’re back!” Xi Chen exclaimed, as his eyes landed on his brother who had finally reverted to his original form.
“Xiongzhang?” Wang Ji replied in confusion. “What are you doing here? Where’s Wei Ying?” he rushed, head still reeling from the after effects of his bizarre dream.
“You don’t remember? You turned into a child,” Xi Chen stated, somewhat disheartened at the thought that his brother had no memories of their day together.
“A child?” Wang Ji stuttered and then gasped (as much as Wang Ji could gasp), “It wasn’t a dream?”
“You remember what happened?” Xi Chen asked, hopefully.
“I think I do,” Wang Ji replied slowly and as an afterthought, he added “You came out of seclusion for me.”
“Well, your husband almost broke down my door and gave me a heart attack. Of course I had to come out and check if you were alright,” Xi Chen replied fondly.
“Are you alright, though?” Wang Ji asked nervously. His question was met with a brilliant smile from his brother and for once in his life, Wang Ji was confident that his brother was not hiding himself behind one of his smiles.
“I am, Didi. Or at least, I will be,” Xi Chen answered with a slight nod as he lovingly patted his brother’s hand.
“Where’s Wei Ying?” he asked finally, ever so eager to be with his husband.
“Ah. A-Xian was terrified of your reaction towards him, so he and Shufu decided to investigate the cursed hydrangea that you touched on your way back home last night,” Xi Chen replied.
Wang Ji didn’t know what was more baffling. A cursed hydrangea that he had apparently touched or his husband and his uncle investigating the said hydrangea. Together. All he could do was stare at his brother like he had grown another head.
<<< EXTRA 2 >>>
“Hydrangeas, Wei Wuxian? Really? You couldn’t come up with something better and more believable?” Qi Ren ground out, as they stepped out of the Jingshi that he had left his nephews in.
“Hey! If you had a better story, you should have said something in there! Don’t blame me for trying. And Xi Chen-ge seems to have believed it, so mission accomplished. I guess,” grumbled Wei Wuxian.
They stared at each other for a few minutes before Qi Ren finally muttered, “What now?”
“I don’t know. You tell me, old man.”
Lan Qi Ren’s headache was getting worse by the second. If he had to spend an entire day with his nephew’s shameless husband, a Qi Deviation at this moment would be a blessing.
“Ooh, I have an idea!” exclaimed Wei Wuxian. “I lied in there for the both of us so that Xi Chen-Ge makes use of this opportunity and takes a break from his seclusion, right?”
“You lied. I didn’t do anything,” Qi Ren replied warily.
“Ah, potato- potahto. Since there is no hydrangea or a curse, how about we follow them and keep an eye on them?” he suggested.
“Now, why would we do that?” Qi Ren asked bewildered.
“Do you have anything better to do, old man?” Wei Wuxian retorted with a raised brow.
“Fine,” Qi Ren huffed. “But if we get caught, I’m putting all the blame on you.”
“What happened to rule number 146 “Own up to your mistakes”?” Wei Wuxian scoffed.
“Says the man who breaks 10 different rules per day,” Qi Ren scoffed and walked away with a flourish in his robes.
<<< EXTRA 3 >>>
Wang Ji stared up at the statue of Fuxing, the God of happiness, as he absently nodded along to whatever it is that his husband was ranting about. He loved his husband. He really did. But that did not mean that he had to listen to every single one of his rants.
“I mean, I guess I could come up with a talisman to sew any tears in your clothes or ooh ooh a talisman which makes your clothes so durable that it doesn’t tear during night hunts. That is a wonderful idea, isn’t it Lan Zhan?”
Wang Ji’s eyes snapped to his husband who was waiting for his approval with wide expecting eyes. “Wei Ying,” he said with exasperated fondness. “We should pay our respects to God Fuxing,” he looked away, swiftly changing the topic.
“Oh right, we should,” Wei Ying replied enthusiastically, his talisman completely forgotten.
They walked up to the podium and kneeled in front of the beautifully decorated golden statue.
‘Oh mighty one, ever since you gave me back my Wei Ying, you gave me all the happiness in the world. So today I’d like to pray for my brother. Please help him move on from his current predicament and guide him towards the path of healing. This is all I ask from you,’ Wang Ji prayed silently and kowtowed thrice.
‘O Lord, I don’t have any right to ask anything from you. The life that was handed back to me, although I don’t deserve it, I’m trying to live it as righteously as I can. You have already given me Lan Zhan and I don’t deserve to ask anything more for myself. So here I pray today, not for myself but my brother. A-Cheng has grown into a wonderful sect leader and he has done a spectacular job raising Jin Ling. I just hope that he finds someone to love and spend the rest of his life with. Somebody that could be the calming sea to his raging storm. Somebody that could always be there for him, like I wasn’t. I hope you fulfill all his wishes and desires. You know he deserves it,’ Wei Ying silently wished as he kowtowed thrice.
Together, they stood up, like a pair well complimented and with clasped hands and heart filled with nothing but love, they exited the temple.
THE END