Archive of Our Own

Lan Wangji's fingers plucked over the strings of the guqin, gentle but steady. It was the same song they always played for the restless ghost pokemon. The same one his brother played, his uncle played, apparently all the way back to the Gusu League's founder. It was a soothing melody. It worked. He was comfortable with it.

Bichen sat beside him, the dratini's head resting under Lan Wangji's elbow and in his lap, safely out of the way of Lan Wangji's movements. It was a familiar position for them, comforting in the familiarity. It made sitting in front of the tombstones of different pokemon easier. Lan Wangji would never shirk this duty, but it was good to know he had a companion at his side.

He looked up from the strings for a moment, casting his gaze over the open graveyard next to Lavender Tower. It was the only part of the pokemon graveyard that was exposed to the elements, and thus it was the part of Lavender Town that was often besieged with angry ghost pokemon. They'd been getting more riled up recently, requiring more than the monthly calming.

It was something that weighed on him heavily. He didn't know what was causing it. He had an idea of where to start looking, but his brother would be... disappointed to say the least. Then again, accusing a close friend of one's brother of tampering with the natural order of things didn’t go over well very often. His mouth twitched and Lan Wangji looked back down at the strings of the guqin. The ghost pokemon were already calming back down, the red fading from their eyes as they settled down onto the ground.

Bichen lifted his head, chirring quietly as Lan Wangji finished the song. He tipped his head into the proffered palm and purred, or as close as he could given the limitations of his vocal chords.

Lan Wangji stroked Bichen's head gently and then stood up in a smooth motion. He picked up the travel case for his guqin and packed it away quickly and efficiently. No wasted movements. This practice was how he noticed the wildly spinning gastly that was inching closer. He slung the travel case over his shoulder, frowning as he reached for one of the pokeballs on his waist. Bichen would do fine in a fight against a basic gastly, but Wangji was stronger.

The gastly halted in front of Lan Wangji. Its eyes weren't red, but it certainly wasn't happy. It was frowning, eyes open wide. Lan Wangji got the distinct impression that it was worried . But wild pokemon didn't often get worried about anything, especially not wild ghost pokemon. More often than not, they were what other pokemon were worried about.

Lan Wangji shifted slightly on the balls of his feet, his sneakers digging into the soft grass. He slowly pulled his hand away from the pokeball and the gastly started bobbing again, but less vigorously than before. It swooped in a circle around him and then bobbed backwards.

Did it want him to follow it?

That certainly seemed to be the most obvious solution. Lan Wangji was particularly fond of obvious solutions. Few things in the world outside of the Gusu League adhered to things that made sense. Still, Bichen made a plaintive sound and followed the gastly, leaving Lan Wangji to follow in his shadow.

The gastly led him across the graveyard, swooping in and out of tombstones with no regards for the occupants under the ground. For all Lan Wangji knew, this gastly could have been one, or several, of them. Research into what exactly caused ghost type pokemon still hadn't quite figured gastlys out. Yet, somehow, that thought didn't settle right with the situation. No, there was no way this was a wild gastly, which meant it belonged to a trainer, and a worried pokemon without its trainer was always bad news.

He picked up his pace, overtaking Bichen. The gastly led him to the far side of the graveyard, to a handful of graves that were shadowed by the leaves of a large tree. Under the tree, where the light of the moon didn't quite reach, there sat a boy on top of a tombstone. He was sitting facing away from Lan Wangji. His hair was long and tied into a ponytail that fell down his back, and he was humming. Something soft that Lan Wangji could only catch snippets of.

The gastly swooped towards the boy, bobbing in front of him and opening its mouth to make various screeching noises.

The boy--man?--laughed and lifted a hand to pat the gastly. His hand didn't go through the gas surrounding the gastly, hovering on top as though he was just as much ghost as the pokemon. "Chenqing, there you are. I was getting worried when you dashed away so quickly! You need to be careful you know." His voice was deeper than Lan Wangji had expected, further confirming this was no teen that chose to hang in a graveyard after dark.

Chenqing pushed up into the man's hand and then screeched again before flitting behind. The man turned to follow, rotating his weight on the tombstone, and then paused.

Lan Wangji met his gaze straight on. He gathered the man was likely around his own age, and he had an unnatural pallor to him. It was like he was fuzzy around the edges, but Lan Wangji had never had issues with his vision before. It seemed odd that his eyes would only play up now when he was looking at the mystery man. He allowed himself to flick his gaze up and down quickly, taking in the rest of him.

"Oh, you can see me, can't you?" The man was starting to grin. It lit up his entire face and scrunched his eyes into narrow crescents. Lan Wangji's heart stuttered in a way it had never done before.

He hoped he wasn't having a heart attack. He was awfully young for that, and in remarkable health according to his doctor.

"Aw, Chenqing, did you find someone who could help us? What good thinking!" The man yanked the gastly over, smooshing his cheek against the solid portion of the gastly's body. "I'm so proud of you, thank you for not listening to me and staying put. But I would have thought of something!"

Chenqing rolled its eyes and screeched, though Lan Wangji had no idea if it was in agreement or not.

The man laughed. "Yeah, you're right." He let go of the gastly and stuck out a hand to Lan Wangji. "I'm Wei Wuxian! It's nice to meet you."

Lan Wangji dropped his eyes to Wei Wuxian's hand. It was see through. Just enough to be noticeable up close, but still concerning. No human should be see through. Unless he was a hologram? He had seen a handful of those in his time. The Jin Corporation was working hard to make holograms more realistic in the hopes that streaming a trainer into a battle would be safer in the long run. Less chance for the trainer to get caught in the backfire from the pokemon attacks, and would be good for the leagues. Gusu League was working closely with them on getting the technology to work too.

He took the hand and was careful enough that he didn't press through it, though there was absolutely no resistance. He had no doubts that he wasn't holding onto anything at all, just the idea of a physical form.

Wei Wuxian wasn't alive.

He dropped his hand and folded his own hands behind his back. Bichen used the platform his arms made to crawl up and drape himself around Lan Wangji's neck.

"Oh hey, you're from the Gusu League aren't you? I swear I've seen you before, but my memory is horrible. You're uh..." Wei Wuxian cocked his head to the side and tapped at his lower lip, looking Lan Wangji up and down. He snapped his fingers suddenly. "You're Lan Wangji! Lan Xichen, the champion, he's your brother, right? What are you doing out here at the dead of night? Also, why can you see me? Is that a Lan thing? I heard the Lan's are really good at soothing ghost types. Maybe that's why you can see me. I've tried to get Jiang Cheng's attention before but it didn't work because he can't see me. But we from Yunmeng League aren't very good at ghosts. It's all water and grass for us. I'm the only one who uses ghost types, but it's also only Chenqing. Oh, and Suibian too. I forget that Suibian is part ghost."

Wei Wuxian talked with his hands. They moved all over the place, high, low, tugging on his own hair. It was strange. Lan Wangji couldn't recall a time he'd ever seen someone be so animated when they spoke. Everyone around him was always restrained. He was used to it, enjoyed it even. It meant they didn't expect much from him. There was comfort in the known, and Wei Wuxian was anything but that.

"Suibian is a frillish! He's stuck with the rest of my stuff back at Wen Inc. Oh! I'm with the Jiang Investigation Unit in the Yunmeng League. I was looking into the shadow pokemon-- have you heard of the shadow pokemon? They're becoming more and more pronounced. You must have noticed, the ghost types here are feeling their effects too--"

Lan Wangji was beginning to think he wasn't going to be able to get a word in edgewise unless he interrupted, and he simply could not do that. Etiquette didn't allow it. He settled himself in to wait for Wei Wuxian to finish talking. It was fine, he didn't mind waiting. Even if he was terribly curious on how the young man had gotten this way and Wei Wuxian's rambling was taking a direction not conducive to that line of questioning.

"-- anyway, I was looking into the shadow pokemon when I got jumped --" Wei Wuxian continued, and then stopped, sudden, like someone had simply pressed the mute button. Chenqing dove in front of the both of them, weaving in and out between with an expression that Lan Wangji could only call worried.

The hair on back of Lan Wangji’s neck prickled and then stood on end, carrying the motion down to the hair on his arms as well. Goosebumps rose, leaving his skin tingling in their wake. He could make out wing beats above and slowly tipped his head up, peering into the dusky evening sky. He could just make out a charizard, the shape unmistakable, wearing a glowing Wen Inc. logo on its flying harness. It was backwinging for a landing, its wings heaving in great sweeps in order to land gently.

Lan Wangji could only assume it came bearing a headache for him.

The charizard landed with a thunk that shook the ground and the tree beside Lan Wangji. Its claws dug into the soft earth before it crouched down and relieved itself of its passengers.

He had been right after all. It did come bearing a headache in the form of Wen Chao and his bodyguard, Wen Zhuliu. Most likely they had come expecting Lan Wangji's brother, and wanted to bother him instead, but Lan Wangji was always the one to do the calming rituals here.

Not that Wen Inc knew that, or ever needed to.

Still, he carefully kept his face from doing that thing that Lan Xichen warned him about, where it settled into an expression that tended to scare people away. If only because he needed to be polite to Gusu's benefactors. Wen Inc. was one of the biggest monetary supporters of the league, even if he loathed that fact.

Before Wen Chao's boots had even touched the ground, Lan Wangji knew he'd failed on keeping a neutral expression. Neither of the two in front of him looked particularly thrilled. Wen Zhuliu was, perhaps, amused, but Lan Wangji didn't know him well enough to hazard a guess.

"Well, if it isn't Lan Wangji." Wen Chao smiled and held out a hand.

Lan Wangji gathered that touching him would be similar to putting his hand in a pot of cold grease. He bowed instead, all proper angles and poise. "Mr. Wen." At this angle, from the corner of his eye, he could make out Wei Wuxian hiding behind a tombstone. The wispiest bits of his hair were sticking out, floating erratically, and his fingers were phasing through the stone instead of digging into it.

Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu didn't seem to pay Wei Wuxian any mind at all.

Lan Wangji tucked that information away and straightened out of his bow.

Wen Chao's face was doing an interesting combination between a sneer and a scowl. It would be more interesting if Lan Wangji cared in any way about what Wen Chao thought. He adjusted the sleeves of his uniform and looked down his nose at Wen Chao. "Can I help you?"

Chenqing bobbed just behind Wen Zhuliu's head, making faces at his back.

Lan Wangji was abruptly grateful he had extensive training in keeping his expression flat. Especially when Chengqing dove forward and dragged its tongue across the back of Wen Chao's head, leaving his hair to stand up straight from the ghostly saliva, and Chengqing twirled away laughing. Wen Chao's eyebrow twitched, and Lan Wangji pressed his mouth together just a little tighter. It wouldn't do to laugh at Wen Chao after all. Not that Wen Chao could do anything to him, but it wouldn't look good for the league.

"We are here --" Wen Chao started, reaching a hand up to smooth his hair out. It didn't help, but Lan Wangji wasn't going to tell him that.

He could hear Wei Wuxian giggling to his right and Lan Wangji's heart did a funny flip again.

"--to oversee the ghost calming ritual you do. Just to make sure it's working. I'm sure you understand. Since all of the pokemon in the area have been getting more and more turbulent," Wen Chao finished.

Lan Wangji stared at him for a moment just too long to be comfortable. He could see Wen Chao start to squirm, puffing up his chest to appear more important. Rolling his eyes was beneath him but it was certainly tempting. "I'm afraid you're too late for tonight, Mr. Wen. The ritual has already been completed."

"Now there's no way you managed to finish doing the whole thing yet. It's only just barely sundown. Are you sure you've covered the whole cemetery?" Wen Chao asked.

Chenqing made another pass for Wen Chao's head, cackling as it did. Wen Zhuliu moved first, putting his palm against the gastly's head. There was a device there that sparked and pulsed and the resulting scream came from pokemon and trainer, a roar of "Chen qing !" from Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji grabbed Wen Zhuliu by the wrist and twisted, breaking the connection between pokemon and human. Bichen dashed forward, catching the near fainted Chenqing before it hit the ground. Lan Wangji took a deep breath through his nose, intended to be grounding, but it only fanned the blood pulsing in his ears.

"If you are here to harm the pokemon under my care, I will ask you to leave."

"The damn thing was going to attack me!" Wen Chao scoffed.

"Chenqing wasn't attacking him," Wei Wuxian said. He floated out from behind the tombstone now, crouching down next to his pokemon. He pressed a hand against its forehead, frowning deeply. "He's lucky I can't touch him right now." Wei Wuxian continued to mutter darkly and Lan Wangji made it a point not to look at the ghostly man.

Comparing touching Wen Chao to touching grease had been too kind of a sentiment if this was how the CEO's son acted. "The ritual this week is done," he reiterated.

Wen Chao opened his mouth and Bichen rose up, making the closest approximation of a growl he could. There was an answering snarl from the charizard, but Lan Wangji was unphased. If it came to a fight Lan Wangji had Wangji, and his gyrados would outmatch any Wen Corp pokemon even on his worst day.

"Your uncle will hear about this insubordination, Lan Wangji." Wen Chao sniffed and crossed his arms.

Lan Wangji resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow in answer. Color him unimpressed. His uncle didn't like the Wen Corp anymore than he did.

"We'll be back next week then. Do not start before we get here. That is an order, Lan Wangji."

Bichen's fins flattened back and he growled again. One of the apricorn balls on Lan Wangji's belt rattled, just as incensed. Lan Wangji simply folded his hands together again and bowed. His mouth tasted sour and he had no intention of waiting for them. He had a job to do, and their input mattered naught. He straightened up to watch the Wens return to the charizard, the giant fire type snorting and flapping its wings angrily before taking off.

"Damn Wens. I hate them."

Lan Wangji turned to Wei Wuxian. The man had bundled Chenqing into his lap, the gastly making quiet, unhappy noises. Wei Wuxian had a dark expression that made goosebumps raise on Lan Wangji's neck. An expression like that could spell untold horrors if not curbed.

"They're the reason I'm like this. Wen Zhuliu in particular. He did something with that contraption of his and split my spirit from my body. Everything of mine is at Wen Corp. They didn't even use a different hideout for their shady deals. It's all done out in the open and everyone turns a blind eye because they have the most money. It makes me sick ," Wei Wuxian spat.

"Shadow pokemon," Lan Wangji said. He crouched next to Wei Wuxian and opened the pouch on his belt, pulling out a potion. He carefully sprayed it on the worst parts of the burn he could see. Chenqing was crying and rolling, but Wei Wuxian was holding it steady with a clenched jaw.

"The Wens are making the shadow pokemon. I was getting evidence when Wen Zhuliu jumped me. I woke up here and I can't leave . My family doesn't know where I am, and I don't know what they're doing to my team. But the shadow pokemon aren't all." Wei Wuxian flexed his jaw and turned steely eyes on Lan Wangji. "Do you remember learning about Mewtwo in Kanto in school? How Team Rocket was responsible for pokemon cloning and it was messing all sorts of things up?"

'Messing all sorts of things up' was certainly putting it lightly. Everyone had learned about Mewtwo and Mew, and why science on pokemon was forbidden. Pokemon were not lab rats and the ones that were turned into them often went crazy. That series of experiments had resulted in many clones that had had to be rehabilitated and those that couldn't be... well, it was best not to think about it. It had also almost caused the death of a young trainer before their pokemon had saved them.

Yes, Lan Wangji was familiar with it. He didn't like the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that came with Wei Wuxian bringing it up now.

"The Wens are doing it here too. I don't know how, but there are copies of legendary pokemon there in a bunker. They aren't right. I've never seen pokemon so feral. Even the most upset pokemon has never been like that." Wei Wuxian dropped his eyes back to Chenqing. The gastly was starting to recover, the worst of the burn faded now. "I can't do anything though because I'm stuck here. I don't even--" He waved a hand and then clenched it into a fist, lightly hitting the side of his thigh. "I don't know how to go back."

"I will find out." The words were out before Lan Wangji fully had time to comprehend them. But was there anything else he could do? Leave Wei Wuxian and ignore what he had been told? His own morals wouldn't allow that. He stood up, straightening out his pants as he did. "I will speak with brother and uncle." They would be able to help, and if they couldn't then Lan Wangji would research until he found something out.

The apricorn ball on his waist rattled again and then opened with a pop. The red glow solidified into a flabebe, twirling in the air before stopping just above Wei Wuxian's hair. It turned to Lan Wangji and pointed its flower at him, an angry series of chirrs and chirps coming out. It then sank down to the ground and touched its flower against Wei Wuxian's cheek.

Lan Wangji didn't know if it actually touched Wei Wuxian’s cheek or not, but a knot of unease loosened in his chest. "A'Hua."

Wei Wuxian was going cross eyed trying to look at the flabebe. "Huh?" He blinked hard and looked over at Lan Wangji, his brow furrowing.

"Her name is A'Hua. She will stay and keep you company."

Wei Wuxian opened his palm and A'Hua landed there, smiling wide in a way that only she could. "I... thank you?"

"Mn." Lan Wangji thumbed a different pokeball, an average one this time, and Bichen was recalled. In the dratini's place was now a large gyrados. Wangji turned an eye to Wei Wuxian, making an inquisitive noise. A'Hua turned and the two of them seemed to have a silent conversation before Wangji turned his head towards Lan Wangji. "I will be back," Lan Wangji said.

Wei Wuxian nodded, and Lan Wangji left on Wangji.

 Clearly Lan Wangji had been knocked off his game if he didn't notice his tag along until he'd already made it back to Gusu League Headquarters. Chenqing had clung to the tip of Wangji's tail, and the gyrados hadn't even batted an eye or made any indication that there was something clinging to him at all. If Lan Wangji didn't know better, he'd say they had planned it this way.

More likely it had been Wangji and A'Hua. The flabebe often had ideas that Lan Wangji knew better than to indulge in. Alas, there was nothing for it now. He had a gastly following him as he made his way inside of HQ and that was simply how it was. He ignored the strange looks others threw at him. It was a widely known fact that Gusu league trainers simply did not use ghost types, preferring instead to try and help the pokemon find peace.

It was not their place to judge what they did not know, and Lan Wangji did not have to tell them anything.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge, waving it over the scanner on the wall. The doors of an elevator opened, and he was whisked upstairs to where his uncle and his brother were. He'd already communicated with them that he needed an audience, that the information he carried was very important. He'd implied a need for privacy in his messages. Therefore his confusion was justified when he stepped out of the elevator and saw the CEO of the Jiang League and the reigning league Champion standing before his uncle's door.

Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Wanyin turned in sync as the doors slid shut behind Lan Wangji. They looked tired. Stressed. Worried. Jiang Wanyin in particular had large bags under his eyes and Jiang Fengmian had a permanent frown. Jiang Fengmian made an attempt to smile, greeting Lan Wangji from a respectful distance. Jiang Wanyin followed a beat later.

"Lan Wangji. A pleasure to see you as always," Jiang Fengmian said.

Lan Wangji nodded in turn, and then glanced at his uncle's office. He could see his brother and his uncle speaking in there through the clear windows, concern clear in the way they folded their hands upon the table and leaned towards each other. He got the distinct impression that Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Wanyin had not come bearing good news either.

"That's Wei Wuxian's gastly!"

Jiang Wanyin's startled--or perhaps angry--cry startled Lan Wangji enough that he looked over at him. And then he glanced at Chenqing, still following just a few feet behind him.

The gastly chittered and dashed forward, slamming its full weight into Jiang Wanyin's chest. Jiang Wanyin was quick to bring up his hands, cradling the ghost type carefully. His eyes, though, were hard and cold as he stared across the small hallway at Lan Wangji. "Where is Wei Wuxian?"

Jiang Wanyin. Jiang Cheng. Jiang League investigations unit. Of course. Wei Wuxian of the Jiang League investigations unit was Wei Wuxian, ex-league trainer. There was a rumor that had gone around that Wei Wuxian had bowed out of the final four at the very end instead of dethroning his younger brother. Which meant, if Jiang Wanyin's scowl was anything to go by, they were here because they couldn't find Wei Wuxian.

"Why do you have his pokemon? What did you do to him?" Jiang Wanyin approached, his footsteps loud on the tiles. They echoed. Lan Wangji imagined it would be threatening were it not for how exhausted and drawn the man looked.

"I did nothing to Wei Wuxian."

"Bullshit."

"A'Cheng, enough," Jiang Fengmian cut in.

Jiang Wanyin's mouth snapped closed and he scowled deeper, tightening his hold on Chenqing. Chenqing, however, was more than happy to be coddled this way. If anything the gastly settled further into Jiang Wanyin's arms.

Lan Wangji had the distinct impression it would purr if it knew how.

"My apologies, Lan Wangji. We have had a long couple of weeks." Jiang Fengmian spread out his hands, smiling. It didn't reach his eyes.

The door to the office swung open and Lan Wangji switched his focus there. Lan Xichen smiled at them, bright and pleasant as always. Lan Wangji could make out the hint of stress lines around his eyes and the pinched corners of his mouth.

"Please, gentlemen. Come inside. Wangji, if you'll wait just one mome--"

"Pardon my interruption, but I believe this might pertain to Lan Wangji as well. He has brought A'Ying's gastly with him," Jiang Fengmian said.

Lan Xichen looked at Lan Wangji, a slight crook to his brow, and Lan Wangji gave the faintest of nods. As a group, they walked into the office. Lan Qiren sat at the head of the table, his hands folded neatly on the surface. He gestured with one hand, and they all took their seats. His eyes lingered on Chenqing, and then jumped to Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji couldn't read his uncle. He didn't imagine that his uncle was thinking anything particularly happy though.

"Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," Jiang Fengmian started. He bowed his head and then straightened back up. "Three weeks ago, a member of my investigation team went missing while looking into the rise of shadow pokemon. We haven't seen him at all, and we're looking for any help we can get. Lan Wangji walked in with Chenqing here." He gestured to the gastly still in Jiang Wanyin's hold. "This is one of Wei Ying's pokemon."

Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren both looked at Lan Wangji then and he took a subtle, deep breath. And then he explained what he'd learned from Wei Wuxian, and what had happened to him. He watched their faces go from concerned, to worried, to outright disbelief. Well, the disbelief came from Jiang Wanyin, actually.

"Wei Wuxian isn't dead ." Jiang Wanyin held tighter onto Chenqing.

Lan Wangji could see the tips of his fingers turning white from where he grasped onto the pokemon. He didn't know how to speak words of comfort. Thankfully his brother was there to rescue him.

"No, Wei Wuxian isn't dead. Wangji stated that. He's still alive, just disconnected from his body. Like astral projection," Lan Xichen said. He rose from the table and stepped to the back of the room, pulling out a tea set and bringing it to the table. He poured a cup for everyone and then sat back down. "Wangji, are you sure it's Wen Corp?"

Lan Wangji nodded. There was no one else it could be, not with that kind of reaction from both Wei Wuxian and Chenqing at the graveyard. "I will need help researching how to put Wei Wuxian back in his body."

Lan Xichen nodded. "I'll help you after we are done here."

Lan Wangji accepted this answer and picked up his tea, sipping at it slowly and watching the others at the table process the rest of what he'd said.

"Hm. We'll have to be careful with this. We cannot make a public enemy of them." Lan Qiren sat back in his seat, tugging lightly on the end of his beard. "If what you say is true, we will need to do careful intel."

Jiang Fengmian nodded, leaning forward as Lan Qiren sat back. "We have contacts inside Wen Corp. We can ask them about any strange going ons. I trust them."

Lan Wangji turned his attention back to Jiang Wanyin. The man was clenching his jaw, his hands, bouncing his leg. It was a long time before he interrupted Lan Qiren and Jiang Fengmian's strategy talk. "Father, may I be excused please?"

Jiang Fengmian waved his hand in a distracted motion and Jiang Wanyin stood, stalking out of the room with Chenqing in tow. The natural conclusion, of course, was that Jiang Wanyin was going back to the Pokemon Graveyard. But he couldn't see Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian had told Lan Wangji that himself.

Lan Wangji would have to go as well so at least Wei Wuxian had someone he could talk to.

He excused himself quietly and followed Jiang Wanyin. It was easy to overtake him at the elevator, waiting patiently next to him.

"Why are you here, Lan Wangji." Jiang Wanyin was glaring at him, but at least he was no longer squeezing the life out of Chenqing.

"You cannot see Wei Wuxian."

"You don't know that."

"He told me."

"Shut up. I think I'd know better. He's my brother."

Lan Wangji glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Stress or not, Jiang Wanyin was quickly becoming not his favorite person in the world. Lan Wangji had the choice here to walk away. He could let Jiang Wanyin go, and become more and more frustrated when he couldn't see his brother. But Lan Wangji had made a promise. He hummed a non answer and pulled out his phone, updating Lan Xichen on where he was going.

The elevator dinged and they stepped on together, Jiang Wanyin fuming and Lan Wangji only distantly amused.

" Why are you still following me?" Jiang Wanyin bit out every word like it was a person affront against his person.

Lan Wangji, several hours into this journey back to Lavender Town, was exceptionally tired of this. The fellow trainer had done nothing but take badly hidden shots at him the entire way. Lan Wangji's answer had never changed. Chengqing clung to him and Jiang Wanyin, and there he was going too because Chenqing was sort of his responsibility now.

And so, as they descended on the graveyard, Lan Wangji opted not to respond. Instead, he recalled Wangji and looked around the graveyard. It was strangely different in the daylight. The gravestones more washed out while the grass and the leaves of the trees were more vibrant. A dead place that looked alive.

How strange. He'd only ever been here at dusk or night. There'd never been any need to come during the day before.

And yet despite the bright sunlight, he could feel the way the ghost pokemon were already riled up. It had only been a full day since the calming, and their energies were already pulsing across his skin and senses in angry waves. They were already clamoring for his attention, begging for help, for release, for something he couldn't give them. For something Lan Wangji dared not to name.

He ignored Jiang Wanyin's continued complaints and walked deeper into the graveyard, looking for the tombstone Wei Wuxian had been hanging around. The tree was easy enough to find, but unease sat heavy on his chest all the same when he didn't see Wei Wuxian anywhere. He frowned, the smallest downturn of his mouth, and sped up. He circled the tree and the tombstone, but there was still no sign of Wei Wuxian.

Chenqing came bobbing over then, circling around Lan Wangji and then the tree. It stopped at the base of the tree and tipped back to look up at the top of the tree. It opened it's mouth wide and screeched at the top of its incorporeal lungs.

"Chenqing, no ," Jiang Wanyin said sharply, suddenly at Lan Wangji's elbow.

Chenqing glared at him, opened its mouth wider, and screeched again. It was louder this time, and Lan Wangji frankly wasn't sure how it managed it.

He winced and aborted the motion to bring his hands up to his ears. Instead, he straightened up and gritted his teeth.

Clearly Chenqing knew what it was doing, as a moment later Wei Wuxian had materialized at the base of the tree. He wrapped his arms around Chenqing and shushed it, using a low tone until its screeching died down into complacent grumbles. Shortly after, A’Hua came tumbling out of the tree and landed happily on Lan Wangji’s head.

Lan Wangji could feel Jiang Wanyin's confusion radiating off of him. It would have been funny if it wasn't so tragic. Still, Lan Wangji couldn’t fault Jiang Wanyin. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t see Wei Wuxian. Likely all he saw was Chenging starting to calm down for reasons unknown while hovering a mere few inches off the ground. When he thought of it in that context, Lan Wangji would have been confused as well.

“--I didn’t leave you, there’s no need to make such a fuss,” Wei Wuxian said, just loud enough that Lan Wangji could make it out now. Chenqing was calming further, but its noises were still discontent.

“What is going on.” It wasn’t a question and Jiang Wanyin did not ask it as such.

Lan Wangji felt the desire to sigh building to an all time high. “Wei Wuxian is calming Chenqing.”

“Wei Wuxian isn’t here.” Jiang Wanyin’s face scrunched when he was angry, brows drawn in tight and mouth pursed like he’d eaten lemons.

Lan Wangji got the idea that his anger was explosive but not particularly dangerous. At least not yet. “Wei Wuxian is a spirit. You cannot see spirits unless they have physical form. Therefore, you cannot see Wei Wuxian,” he explained.

“Bullshit. Where is he? I thought Lan’s didn’t fucking lie.” Jiang Wanyin marched past Lan Wangji--Lan Wangji very politely did not trip him like he wanted to because it would be rude and look bad on his family--and crouched by Chenqing to grab it again. In return, Chenqing hissed at him.

Jiang Wanyin’s shoulders tensed, and Lan Wangji could see Wei Wuxian’s face go soft from where he stood.

“Oh, A-Cheng, please don’t cry.” Wei Wuxian reached up, but his hand just went through Jiang Wanyin’s cheek. That moment alone looked like it pained Wei Wuxian more than anything else. “Please, Lan Wangji. Will you help me convince him I’m here?” he asked, voice soft.

Lan Wangji knew, somehow, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this side of Wei Wuxian was rare to see indeed. He wasn’t wholly sure he liked how downtrodden the man was. So he nodded his assent. Of course he would help, there was little else he could do.

“Tell him to remember that time jie had to pull us both out of the water. We’d gone swimming off the pier and the goldeens were so angry that day. They wouldn’t stop using water gun on us, and we thought it was a hilarious game until the psyduck and the milotic got involved. Jie had to come out in a boat and fish us out of the water before the milotic decided that drowning us would be a better past time.” Wei Wuxian was smiling as he told the story, his hand hovering in the air as though tot touch Jiang Wanyin and comfort him.

Lan Wangji dutifully told the story, the most words he’d spoken in a long while, and had the pleasure of watching Jiang Wanyin go three different shades of red.

“Y-your brother is friends with jie, he could have told you that,” he snapped.

Lan Wangji did not roll his eyes but it might have been a near thing.

“You ran crying from Chenqing when you first met her because she almost made your seel faint,” Wei Wuxian quipped.

Lan Wangji, dutiful as ever, repeated it word for word.

“Shut up! Wei Wuxian--!” Jiang Wanyin scowled and stood straight up. “Where are you, I’m gonna kick your ass for making everyone worried about you!” He kicked out beneath Chenqing, the motion half-hearted at best, and then sniffled. “Do you know how worried jiejie is? You were supposed-- You were supposed to be home not going off without me.”

Lan Wangji turned his back. This wasn’t a moment he wanted to pry into. It certainly wasn’t his place. He pulled A’Hua from his hair instead and stroked over her petals gently. She had done a very good job in keeping Wei Wuxian company and would get a treat before they rested tonight. He would make sure of it.

Neither Wei Wuxian nor Lan Wangji could comfort Jiang Wanyin, and he was left to pull himself together alone. It was a long moment before Jiang Wanyin cleared his throat. “What do we do? How do we help?”

Lan Wangji turned around again. Both Yunmeng trainers looked put together and ready for work. Lan Wangji nodded and pulled out his phone, navigating to the links Lan Xichen had sent him. “Research and application.” He turned his phone to show both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin the articles that had been sent over. “Brother will help how he can.”

Wei Wuxian passed a hand through his hair and nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Figuring out what exactly had knocked Wei Wuxian out of his body was a more challenging taste than Lan Wangji expected. He’d expected it to be difficult of course, but even with Lan Xichen’s help in accessing files back at Gusu, they were coming up on day six of trying to fix this. Day six of Lan Wangji playing mouthpiece for Wei Wuxian.

He was so very tired of speaking.

However, it wasn’t all bad, and he’d never admit it, but even Jiang Wanyin’s gruffness was growing on him. Slowly. Like mold. He understood that it was just Jiang Wanyin’s way of showing affection.

He didn’t agree with it, but he couldn’t fault it either.

“We’ve tried everything in your books, Lan Wangji. What do you suggest next? We’re growing a little short on time here cause I really doubt they’re taking care of Wei Wuxian’s body.” Jiang Wanyin paced around the tree that had become their meeting place. There was the beginning of a path worn into the grass from how often he made the loop.

It didn’t help things that Jiang Wanyin was right. They were running out of time.

“Brother and Jiang Fengmian are both looking for Wei Wuxian’s body. I am sure they will find it soon,” Lan Wangji said.

“Without alerting the Wens?” Jiang Wanyin asked drily. It said something that there was barely any bite in his voice this time, just profound tiredness.

Lan Wangji ignored the way his own mouth twitched. He would not rise to the bait, to the obvious fight that Jiang Wanyin was trying to provoke. Again, it was just Jiang Wanyin’s way. It meant nothing in the long run. Although if he gave the Yunmeng champion an icier glare than before, well, he could hardly be faulted.

“Enough, both of you, please.” Wei Wuxian sounded just as tired as the rest of them, compounded by the fact he’d been getting steadily weaker over the past six days. He was slouched back against the tree, half phased through it because he couldn’t muster up the energy to make his form more solid than it already was.

Lan Wangji didn’t like what that lack of energy implied. What that most likely meant.

A’Hua tugged at his sleeve, chirping quietly.

Lan Wangji glanced down at the flabebe and blinked slowly. It was rare that she asked for his attention.

A’Hua pointed then towards a drowzee and a haunter. They looked to be locked in a battle, one could almost see the sparks flying between them even though no actual moves had been taken. They had been at it for the last ten minutes. Lan Wangji wasn’t sure why this was important now. There was nothing different, and the drowzee was simply moving the haunter around because it was in the way and angry--

Oh.

The drowzee was using moves to put the ghost type pokemon to sleep, and then move it.

“Wei Wuxian--” Lan Wangji started and then paused, hesitating. He looked at the haunter again, at its flickering form as the drowzee used some sort of psychic move to shift it into a less populated area of the graveyard.

“I told you, Wei Ying is fine.”

He cut a glance to Wei Wuxian and arched his brow the tiniest amount. Was now really the time? But of course, Wei Wuxian didn’t know what he was thinking yet. How could he, when Lan Wangji hadn’t spoken of it. “You said a pokemon did this to you? Through Wen Zhuliu?”

“Yes?” Wei Wuxian stood from the tree trunk and stretched his limbs. He joined Lan Wangji in watching the drowzee, cocking his head to the side so that his ponytail slid over his shoulder.

Lan Wangji carefully did not think of brushing it back behind him and folded his hands behind his back. He turned his eyes back to the drowzee. It was doing it again; putting a ghost pokemon to sleep and then moving it to a safer spot in the cemetary. It was strange. He’d never seen a pokemon display such behavior without a trainer.

“Oh,” Wei Wuxian said, understanding dawning in his tone. “You think a pokemon move could fix this.” He hummed and scratched at his nose, folding his other arm across his chest. “I mean, maybe? It could work. It’s worth a try but what move? I don’t even know what move they used on me.”

Jiang Wanyin gravitated over, standing on Lan Wangji’s other side. “Destiny bond.”

Lan Wangji turned to look at him.

“If we’re thinking of using a move to directly combat whatever pulling Wei Wuxian out of his body, destiny bond would do it.”

It made sense. A ghost type move would affect Wei Wuxian, and with the type of move it was... Well, it was certainly worth a try and definitely their best bet. They could put Wei Wuxian to sleep first, just in case there was any negative effects. Then he wouldn’t be awake to witness them at least.

“Let’s do it, or at least try it,” Wei Wuxian said.

“Is he willing?” Jiang Wanyin asked.

“Yes,” Lan Wangji answered. “A’Hua can use sleep.”

“And Chenqing can use destiny bond,” Jiang Wanyin said. His mouth pressed into a thin line and he alternated between clenching and unclenching his fists. “You’ll need to be the one to do it, Lan Wangji. I can’t see Wei Wuxian.”

Lan Wangji nodded, slow and careful. It was the smarter choice. A part of him worried still. They should do more research before they went through with it. They should make sure things would be okay. There could be unforeseen consequences and his chest ached at the idea of causing undue pain. What if it was more dangerous than they could even begin to think of?

Wei Wuxian was looking at him expectantly, his expression open and trusting. He was faded around the edges. It was taking more and more energy to be visible to even Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian didn’t have time for them to do more research.

“A’Hua,” Lan Wangji said, his voice quiet and gentle.

She fluttered forward and tapped her flower against Wei Wuxian’s nose.

Wei Wuxian’s wrinkled his nose in response, yawned, and promptly fell asleep where he was hovering.

If it wasn’t an outside affliction it would have been endearing. As it was though, it simply made Lan Wangji’s heart lurch and his chest ache more. He didn’t like putting Wei Wuxian in such a vulnerable position.

Chenqing didn’t need direction, thankfully. It moved in close to Wei Wuxian so that there was no chance of missing and used a destiny bond.

For one gut wrenching moment, Wei Wuxian was solid and falling towards the ground. Jiang Wanyin cried out, but before either of them could move, Wei Wuxian blinked out of sight.

Lan Wangji couldn’t tell if this made him feel better or worse. They had no way to judge if it actually worked or not, and now Wei Wuxian wasn’t there. If the rapid spinning Chenqing was doing was anything to go by, Wei Wuxian wasn’t in the graveyard at all.

Jiang Wanyin was starting to pace again. The pokeballs on his belt jostled with each step. “Where did Wei Wuxian say his body last was?” He knew the answer, Lan Wangji knew he knew the answer, but asking apparently helped him anyway.

“Wen Corp. Basement of their headquarters,” he replied.

“Son of a--” Jiang Wanyin swore, too quiet for Lan Wangji to hear, and started fumbling at his pokeballs. “If he wakes up and there’s only Wen scum there then he’s going to be in more trouble. We have to—I have to--”

Lan Wangji thumbed the release on Wangji’s ball and the gyarados spilled out in a mess of red light. He grabbed Jiang Wanyin by the back of the shirt and hauled both of them up onto Wangji’s back. There was no time to waste.

It was storming when they made it to Wen Corp HQ. Because of course it was. The rain was pelting down, but at least it hadn’t turned into hail yet. Lan Wangji was fairly certain that it would later, but thankfully they would be on the ground by then and less likely to get hurt by a stray bolt of lightning. Even if they were flying low to the ground, he didn’t trust his own luck to keep them safe.

It was rather difficult to fight the elements after all, and he had no electric types with him to negate the effect of stray lightning.

Lan Wangji was thankful to have his feet on the ground.

Chenqing was doing mad circles around them in the air. It darted forward and then came back, pushing into Jiang Wanyin’s arms insistently. If Lan Wangji didn’t know better, he’d say the gastly was quaking in fear. More likely it was simply trying to get their attention.

It zipped out of Jiang Wanyin’s hold again and took off around the corner of the building. It hesitated briefly, hovering and turning around to watch Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji expectantly.

It was definitely waiting for them to follow it.

They stepped off the pavement and followed the grassy yard around the side of the building. It loomed overhead, large and gray with blacked out windows. A completely concrete building in the middle of a field and gardens. It stood out like a sore thumb and meant sneaking around it was rather difficult to say the least.

Still, there were no guards, and no visible security cameras. Perhaps Chenqing simply knew the best way in, or the Wen’s were simply that cocksure. Perhaps it was both. But it was only a few minutes—dreadful, heart pounding minutes—before Jiang Wanyin was shouldering open an “Employee Only” door at the side of the building and slipping inside.

Lan Wangji, of course, followed. The lighting inside the building was dim, the overhead lights flickering with age. The walls here looked pockmarked and nothing like how a multi-billionaire company would keep their space. Lan Wangji had the very distinct impression that this wasn’t an area even employees were allowed unless they had very special clearance.

But then why was the door unlocked?

He frowned and opened his mouth to voice his concern when Jiang Wanyin waved a hand, ducking into a side room after Chenqing. Lan Wangji slipped inside in time to spot Jiang Wanyin pushing a small magnetic card back into the side of his boot.

“Is that an all-access card?” He hadn’t actually meant to ask it out loud, but it hung between them in a harried whisper. Wen all-access cards were very hard to come by, considering they were only carried by the CEO and his sons.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to,” was Jiang Wanyin’s terse response, just as quiet in the loud silence of the room.

Lan Wangji pursed his mouth into a thin line and turned away. Chenqing was bobbing in front of an air vent—this was beginning to feel like one of those action movies—and beckoning them closer. It dipped inside, phasing through the grating with no effort.

Jiang Wanyin moved first, getting his fingers into the grating and pulling it off the wall with far too much ease. It was just a couple of wiggles and then the metal was free from the sheetrock.

He had definitely done this before. Lan Wangji had to wonder how often it was because Wei Wuxian had gotten into trouble. “Air vents commonly cannot hold the weight of a human,” is what he said instead.

“Not an air vent.” Jiang Wanyin reached into the “not air vent” and tapped something, the wall echoing hollowly. The wall folded away a moment later, revealing a walkway that could only fit one person comfortably. Of course there would be a secret passageway.

Of course.

Lan Wangji resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose—it wasn’t becoming—and instead followed Jiang Cheng into the hallway. Sure, the Gusu League headquarters had its fair share of secrets, but it was nothing like this. They didn’t hide hallways behind air vents or keep people in dungeons, which was where he could only assume Wei Wuxian was and that was where Chenqing was leading them.

“How do you know these things?” he asked.

Jiang Wanyin made an inquisitive sound and turned his head slightly to look at Lan Wangji over his shoulder. “I run investigations too. League champion just came first. Why.”

Lan Wangji nodded. It was a solid answer, it made sense. Wei Wuxian probably dragged Jiang Wanyin into it, just like Wei Wuxian had dragged Lan Wangji into it. It seemed to be a trait the man had.

Jiang Wanyin stared at him for a moment more and then turned to face forward again, following Chenqing closely. The hallway was twisting and seemed to get gradually narrower until Lan Wangji’s shoulders brushed against the walls as he walked. Thankfully, it didn’t get any smaller than that. It sloped downwards, leading them to a staircase, and then the hallway widened again until they could walk side by side.

They drew even with each other, and Jiang Wanyin had one hand on his pokeballs at his belt. Lan Wangji would do much the same if he didn’t know Bichen was already struggling against the confines of the ball. One touch and the dratini would break free. Still, the energy in the hallway was tense and quickly coming to a head.

Lan Wangji pulled in a deep breath. It sat heavy in his lungs.

The hallway ended at a door. Just a simple, wooden door. Jiang Wanyin hesitated there, his hand hovering over the doorknob. Chenqing nudged his hand, then the door, and screeched. Quieter than its screeches before but it was still loud in the hallway.

Lan Wangji winced and reached past both of them to push the door open. It swung on silent hinges and revealed a large room, warehouse sized, filled with various tanks and science equipment. Shadow clones of legendary pokemon were suspended in the tanks, a green viscous liquid holding them there. Air bubbles drifted up occasionally from the land based pokemon. That was the only sign of life from any of them.

A dull thud dragged his attention away from the pokemon and forced him inside. There was a tank in the corner, filled with air bubbles and fluid, and inside of it was Wei Wuxian. The actual Wei Wuxian. He was beating on the glass with his fist, only just barely hard enough to make a noise.

Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin moved at the same time. They dashed across the room and worked in tandem to wrench the lid of the tank off. It turns out they weren’t very durable when faced with two grown men and everything to lose if they were caught.

They hauled Wei Wuxian out by the armpits, and he pulled off the oxygen mask himself. He was shaking, trembling like a leaf in the wind as his feet touched solid ground, and Lan Wangji shrugged out of his outer jacket and draped it around him. Wei Wuxian’s clothes were soaked through and slimy with whatever was in the tank but that didn’t stop him from smiling beatifically at both of them.

“Nice to meet you in the flesh, Lan Wangji,” he quipped.

Lan Wangji’s mouth twitched up and he nodded. That was all he managed before Jiang Wanyin was pulling Wei Wuxian into a tight hold. He turned away from the two of them, content to let them have a moment while he watched the door. They had been remarkably lucky in that no one had come down. There weren’t even any alarms, or cameras that he could see.

It felt too easy.

“We need to let these pokemon free too,” Wei Wuxian said, drawing Lan Wangji’s attention back to him. “And my proof. It’s in my bag. I don’t—” A shiver cut him off and he dragged Lan Wangji’s coat a little closer. “I’m not sure where they put it.”

Chenqing made a sound and did a loop-de-loop before darting off. Lan Wangji let Bichen out, and the dratini darted off after Chenqing. “We will let the pokemon go. They will find your bag,” he said.

Wei Wuxian smiled again, so large that his eyes crinkled, and Lan Wangji had to turn away. He busied himself with getting the other tanks open.

He wished he could say it didn’t take long at all, but by the time they pried open the last tank, he knew it had been at least twenty minutes. The first pokemon they’d released were getting antsy, pacing back and forth in front of the walls and closed doors. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji pulled the final one free from the slime—a poor copy of a celebi with a temper—when one of the legendary birds—Lan Wangji certainly didn’t know which one—blasted a door open and they all took off.

Wei Wuxian cursed lowly. “Jigs up, time to go!” He shimmied off the tank and grabbed the bag that Bichen and Chenqing brought back, slinging it over his shoulder as he ran after the pokemon. Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji were left to follow, their footsteps loud and echoing in the unknown hallways.

Chenqing led the way out, breaking out past the stampede of pokemon to do so. They rounded what had to be their 20 th corner and Chenqing brought them all to a halt, screeching loudly.

“Lan Wangji, Lan Wangji, I’m disappointed. I thought you Lans were trustworthy people, but here you are breaking several laws.” Wen Chao clicked his tongue and folded his arms as Lan Wangji turned to face him and Wen Zhuliu. “Breaking and entering, thievery, destruction of property. My, my, my, what would your uncle say.”

Lan Wangji, for one long, glorious moment, contemplated what it would be like to simply punch Wen Chao’s teeth in instead of resorting to pokemon battles like most trainers did. He quite liked the thought. He didn’t like the man, especially didn’t like him now, and Lan Wangji could throw a good punch.

“I think your kidnapping and holding a Yunmeng investigator captive is a far more serious crime,” Jiang Wanyin snapped. “You should be worried about yourself!”

Wen Chao laughed, the sound greasy and unpleasant. Lan Wangji wanted to wash it off of his skin. “Oh, but Jiang Wanyin, your parents won’t be pleased either. This will disqualify you from the leagues forever, you know. Having a record like this? Not good publicity. And Wei Wuxian, well, he was trespassing already, and he’s been shunned from the league. Even an investigator has to go through the proper chann—ack!”

Lan Wangji picked that moment to stop contemplating punching Wen Chao and actually follow through on the motion. There was a satisfying crack from Wen Chao’s nose and the man was bent over, holding his face as blood came pouring between his fingers.

“You b’oke mah dose!”

Lan Wangji dropped his hand back to his side and side glanced at Wen Zhuliu, raising one brow a miniscule amount.

Wen Zhuliu, to his credit, heaved a giant sigh before he pulled Wen Chao back with one hand and released a pokeball with the other. The shadow pokemon made sounds of distress and backed away from the munna that was released, pressing to the edges of the room before seeking the way out.

No one in the room tried to stop them.

Lan Wangji gestured towards Bichen with his head, and the dratini darted out with a battle cry.

“Psychic,” Wen Zhuliu commanded.

“Mist,” Lan Wangji countered.

Bichen darted to the side, dodging the psychic attack, and a thick fog rose from the ground, blocking the sight of both trainer and pokemon. Somewhere in the fog, Wen Zhuliu asked for the munna to use future sight, but Bichen knew this set of moves well, and Lan Wangji trusted that.

The middle of the fog lit up as a beam sliced through it. Hyperbeam at max power. Bichen would have wrapped the munna with wrap and then used hyperbeam to knock it out.

Lan Wangji, however, did not expect the drifloon that grabbed onto his wrist. Wen Zhuliu was there on his other side.

“Spirit shackle.”

The move shook through his arm, grabbing onto his very soul and yanking. Lan Wangji was helpless against the pain, whiting out his thoughts as he clutched at his chest. He needed to stay attached to his body, he needed—he needed…

“Chenqing, shadow ball!” Wei Wuxian yelled.

Chenqing broke through the mist and slammed into the trevenant face first, only to then blast it further with a shadow ball. A’Hua broke from her apricorn ball, petal dance whipping around her and Lan Wangji. There was a grunt of pain as Wen Zhuliu backed off.

It gave Lan Wangji enough space to ground himself again, feeling less like he was going to slip out of his skin and be bound to something else. Someone else. He sucked down air and tried not to choke on it. Wei Wuxian was there a moment later, a solid weight against his side that forced him into moving.

He recalled both of his pokemon, fumbling with the balls, as they ran through the exit the others had taken. He got them clipped to his belt as they hit the stairs. His lungs still burned by the time they hit the top and broke through the door leading outside. There was, once again, an impressive lack of guards, but he was willing to blame that on the pokemon that were rampaging freely in the yard.

“Wangji!”

Lan Wangji turned his head quickly, straightening up. Lan Xichen came running across the grass to the three of them, worry clear in the furrow of his brow and the pinch of his mouth. He held an umbrella over them as best as he could, shielding them from the rain.

“Wangji, are you alright?” he asked.

Lan Wangji nodded, then gestured to Wei Wuxian with one hand. “He has proof. Jiang Wanyin and I have seen the experiments firsthand.”

“And that would be all of the… well, they aren’t legendaries are they? Not really?” Lan Xichen hummed and then waved a hand. “No matter. We’ll have a team round them up, we already have forces here. They’re scouting out the Wen Corp members that were a part of this. You are all alright?”

Wei Wuxian smiled—Lan Wangji could see it from the corner of his eye—and bowed. “We are alright, thank you for your concern. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng were crucial in saving me, I owe them both my life.”

“Lan Zhan,” Lan Wangji corrected, his mouth moving faster than his brain. He didn’t miss the subtle widening of his brother’s eyes, or the small smile at the edges of his mouth. He resolutely ignored the way warmth spread across his ears.

Wei Wuxian turned to look at him, that same bright smile lighting up his face until his eyes crinkled into crescents. “Lan Zhan,” he said. “Hey, hey Lan Zhan. After we turn all this in, and I take a shower, how about we have a pokemon battle, eh? My Chenqing against your Bichen? Loser has to pay for lunch!”

Jiang Wanyin rolled his eyes to the side and punched Wei Wuxian in the arm lightly. “Cool it, Wei Wuxian. You still have to talk to jiejie and A-Die first.”

Wei Wuxian laughed and tugged Jiang Wanyin down into a one-armed hug. “Okay, okay. That first. But then, Lan Zhan?”

Lan Wangji smiled, a small thing, but it was there, nonetheless. “Mn.” It was a date. And perhaps he would lose on purpose.