Chapter Text
"Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan, watch this!!"
High above the forests between Gusu and Yunmeng, under the warm sunshine of early summer, Wei Ying dropped into a crouch on Suibian, reached one hand down to the blade for stability, and let out a shout of delight as he soared in a wide loop upside down and back around to level out beside Lan Wangji with arms spread wide and a bright smile on his face. A-Yuan squealed and clapped his hands from his position strapped to Lan Wangji's back, and Wei Ying leaned closer to pinch his cheeks and tap him on the nose.
The situation with the Wen survivors had been stable for enough months now that Wei Ying had felt a trip to Yunmeng was no longer an unreasonable risk. Jin Guangyao had of course placed all responsibility for the situation on Jin Zixun, whom Jin Guangshan had very reluctantly sanctioned, and Nie Mingjue had insisted on the involvement of multiple sects in any future overseeing of such camps. There were tensions still, of course, and Lan Wangji felt a flicker of frustration every time he thought about his brother's unwillingness to entertain any suspicions of Jin Guangyao's behaviour once the blame had been placed elsewhere, but overall they both agreed that the situation was about as good as it seemed likely to get for the time being.
And the Jins were otherwise occupied anyway now, with Jiang Yanli's wedding barely a week away. This was the second reason for their trip -- they would travel from Yunmeng to Lanling to attend the wedding, and then return for the remainder of the summer.
Wei Ying, Lan Wangji thought as he watched him speed ahead along a brief current of wind, was all but glowing with happiness.
They touched down at the docks by a row of busy market stalls, and A-Yuan immediately started patting Lan Wangji's shoulders and politely asking to be let down (though Lan Wangji could feel him practically vibrating with excitement, and could see the amusement on Wei Ying's face as he untied the carrier and lifted him to the ground). The air fizzed with the scent of spices and the chatter of vendors and patrons, and Lan Wangji felt warm with affection as he watched Wei Ying spin around with eyes closed and arms outstretched, breathing it all in with a brilliant smile on his face.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying took his hand and A-Yuan's in each of his own and pulled them along, flitting from stall to stall amidst cries of Wei-gongzi! and you've come back! and who's this little one?!, smiling and laughing and pressing food and toys into A-Yuan's and Lan Wangji's hands, drawing them into the heart of the docks with the ease of long familiarity. Lan Wangji's lips and tongue burned from some unidentified spice, and his eyes watered from the pungent smoke of a nearby bowl of something on the edge between cooking and burning, and as he watched Wei Ying he felt such deep contentment that his heart was full and heavy with it. Little A-Yuan was looking around with wide eyes, an awed expression on his face and several new toys clutched tightly to his chest, and his forehead ribbon had come slightly askew along the way. Lan Wangji reached down and gently straightened it for him.
A-Yuan blinked up at him as Wei Ying skipped across the pier to another stall, leaning over baskets of loquats to chat animatedly with the vendor. "A-Yuan is being good?"
Lan Wangji nodded. "Very good. Are you enjoying yourself?"
A-Yuan nodded wildly, his round face lighting up with a smile. "Look what Xian-gege gave me!" He held out a grass butterfly between small rounded fingers, turning it on its stalk for Lan Wangji's inspection.
"A-Yuan, Lan Zhan, come here!" Wei Ying waved them over, a basket of loquats on his arm and both hands overflowing with them too. "I know everyone says you have to eat lotus seeds at the market," he said, pushing a loquat into A-Yuan's mouth, "but we'll get plenty of those later on the lake. They're better fresh anyway." He held a loquat to Lan Wangji's lips then, looking up teasingly from under his eyelashes, and Lan Wangji felt the tips of his ears start to burn as he accepted it.
"Wei Ying," he began, when he could speak again, but he was interrupted by a commotion at the end of the row of stalls alongside them.
"Jiang-zongzhu! Wei-gongzi is --"
"I can see him myself." Jiang Wanyin came to a stop before them, barely sparing Lan Wangji a glance before glaring at Wei Ying with his arms folded and one eyebrow raised in disdain. "Finally decided to show up, did you?"
"Jiang Cheng!" Wei Ying's smile was dazzling. "Is Shijie still here?"
"That's all you want to know?" Jiang Wanyin shoved at Wei Ying's shoulder, who laughed and shoved him back -- and Jiang Wanyin stumbled a little, caught off guard, and stared at him in blatant shock. His eyes flicked down to where Suibian hung from Wei Ying's waist, and widened as he looked back up -- then did a little loop of Wei Ying - Suibian - Lan Wangji - Bichen - and back to Wei Ying with no more understanding than before. Lan Wangji suppressed the momentary urge to let satisfaction show on his face.
"What…"
"Oh." Wei Ying bit his lip and looked almost apologetic. "I'll uh. Explain later?"
"Xian-gege," A-Yuan ventured quietly, tugging on Wei Ying's hand, "who is he?"
"Ah -- A-Yuan, you don't remember? I suppose you were never introduced properly --"
"Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Wanyin's face had turned slightly red, irritation fast covering his momentary confusion. Wei Ying stuck his tongue out at him before turning back to A-Yuan and crouching down in front of him with a serious expression.
"This is your Jiang-shushu, he's very important and in charge of the whole of Lotus Pier, just like how Zewu-Jun is in charge of the Cloud Recesses, but it's okay, because while you have to be sensible with Zewu-Jun, you can actually push Jiang-shushu in the lake if you like! I do it every summer, it's great fun --"
"Wei Wuxian!!!"
***
To Wei Wuxian's disappointment, there was no opportunity to push Jiang Cheng into the lake that afternoon. He dragged them all back to Lotus Pier immediately -- which Wei Wuxian didn't mind, considering the reluctantly volunteered information that Jiang Yanli would still be there until tomorrow -- and cornered Wei Wuxian in the courtyard outside Lan Zhan's guest rooms as soon as he and A-Yuan had disappeared inside.
"Well?!"
"Well what?" Wei Wuxian smiled brightly at Jiang Cheng's annoyed expression and leaned against the wall. Jiang Cheng glared at him.
"You want me to say it? That you -- you've got -- you did something -- Wei Wuxian --"
"Fine, fine. Yes, I have a -- hm. Yes." He drew Suibian and spun it thoughtfully by the hilt, looking anywhere but at Jiang Cheng. "Lan Zhan found a secret text by a previous sect leader with information on cultivating a second core if you have strong enough spiritual energy for it. Wen Qing… did the rest."
An uncomfortable silence sat between them. Behind the closed door of Lan Zhan's rooms Wei Wuxian heard the muffled sounds of A-Yuan asking a question and Lan Zhan solemnly answering; he couldn't help the smile that pulled on his lips as he listened.
"You should tell Jiejie."
Wei Wuxian's head snapped up and he stared at Jiang Cheng. "You told her?!"
"No! Of course not, idiot -- I wouldn't tell her that -- but you know she worries. She knew something was wrong. So just -- I don't know, tell her you're okay. Make her stop worrying. She's supposed to be happy."
Wei Wuxian nodded. "I'll go and see her."
"Good."
"Good. Great." Wei Wuxian sheathed Suibian and sighed. "Jiang Cheng --"
"What?!"
"Ah… it doesn't matter. I'll see you at dinner."
"Fine."
*
The last time Wei Wuxian had been out on the lake to Jiang Yanli's pavilion, it had been just after dusk in the warmth of early autumn. Lan Zhan and Wen Qing had both been almost too exhausted to stand beside him, one from flying for hours with three on his sword and the other from a desperate search cut short; he had been almost at breaking point from anger and fear and bitter determination, and the entire situation had very nearly ended in disaster.
But disaster had somehow been averted, and today the sun was shining high in the sky and spiritual power sang once more through Wei Wuxian's veins as he skipped across the walkways ahead of Lan Zhan and A-Yuan, balancing easily on the wooden railings and flying from foothold to brief foothold just to feel the wind in his hair and the warm exertion of golden energy through his limbs.
It was so good. Months of steady training under Wen Qing's supervision had paid off, pushing him into arguably better shape than he had ever been -- he could match Lan Zhan step for step again now, no longer left dizzy by the effort as he had been at the start, and the disbelief of those first days and weeks had settled into confident familiarity.
"A-Xian!"
"Shijie!" Wei Wuxian flew across the last space of open water, a shortcut between two walkways, and sprang easily down from the railing around the pavilion.
"Oh, A-Xian," she said as she pulled him in for a soft hug, patting his hair like a child before stepping back with her hands still on his arms to look him up and down with a smile, "you look so happy! You know A-Cheng never tells me what's going on with you, and I was so worried --"
"I'm okay now, Shijie." Wei Wuxian smiled and gently squeezed her hands in his own. "I promise."
"But something was wrong?" A frown creased Jiang Yanli's brow, and Wei Wuxian felt immediately guilty.
"Ah, no -- well, yes, but it's not -- it doesn't matter! Everything's okay now." He held up three fingers and blinked a childish expression into place. "Xianxian promises that everything is fine."
Jiang Yanli smiled and gently tapped the end of his nose. "All right. If Xianxian says it, it must be true."
Footsteps broke the moment, and Wei Wuxian looked up with a smile to see Lan Zhan standing at the entrance to the pavilion with A-Yuan tucked shyly behind his leg. Wei Wuxian recognised the expression that meant A-Yuan was trying very hard not to stick his fingers in his mouth for comfort. That baby Lan self-control!
"Lan Wangji." Jiang Yanli smiled and bowed gracefully, and Lan Zhan bowed in return with a soft look that on anyone else would have been a friendly smile. From the way Jiang Yanli's eyes sparkled at it, she had learned to read Lan Zhan almost as well as Wei Wuxian could. Beside them A-Yuan bowed with adorably perfect form before sticking himself back to Lan Zhan's leg like a clinging vine. "And who's this little one?"
"This is A-Yuan!" Wei Wuxian sprang forward and scooped him up, balancing him on his hip and stepping back to Jiang Yanli's side. "A-Yuan, this is your Jiang-gugu, or maybe Yanli-jiejie, she's not nearly as uptight and boring as Jiang-shushu --"
"'Jiang-shushu'? A-Xian, you mean --"
"Lan Zhan and I are looking after A-Yuan -- Lan Yuan, that is. He had a bit of a rough start."
Jiang Yanli nodded and gently patted A-Yuan on the head, careful to avoid the Lan ribbon. "It's wonderful to meet you. You can call me Yanli-jiejie if you like."
"Yanli-jiejie," A-Yuan repeated quietly with a small almost-starstruck smile. Wei Wuxian gently poked his chubby little cheeks and smiled gratefully at Jiang Yanli.
"That's right. And she makes the most wonderful soup -- Shijie, is there any in the kitchens?"
Jiang Yanli laughed and shook her head. "Not until later! A-Cheng thought we should have it for dinner, so it's cooking now. Can Xianxian and A-Yuan be patient?"
Wei Wuxian pouted and opened his mouth to complain, but A-Yuan quickly nodded and pressed both hands to Wei Wuxian's mouth to silence him -- which didn't work at all, only made him laugh so hard tears sprang to the corners of his eyes.
"Lan Zhan, ah -- you'll have to teach this little one your silencing spell!"
"Xian-gege be patient!"
"Aiya, okay, okay! We'll both endure our hunger for a few more hours." He pulled A-Yuan's hands away from his face and turned back to Jiang Yanli. "Shijie… what about the wedding? Are the Jins too stuck-up to appreciate good soup?"
Jiang Yanli smiled and shook her head. "You know A-Xuan likes it. I gave the recipe to the cooks last week." She looked from Wei Wuxian to Lan Zhan and back, and her smile turned coy and teasing. "And what about you two then, hmm?"
"Huh?"
"A-Xian, don't be silly. When are you getting married?"
"Shijie!!" Wei Wuxian stared at her, then at Lan Zhan, then -- oh.
Lan Zhan's ears were so red it had crept slightly onto the corners of his cheeks, and he was looking at Wei Wuxian with a softness around his eyes that made Wei Wuxian's heart flutter and his own cheeks flush in response. Lan Zhan showed no sign of the surprise Wei Wuxian had felt at Jiang Yanli's words -- he looked somewhere between embarrassed and hopelessly fond, and Wei Wuxian couldn't look away.
"Wangji wrote me a letter," Jiang Yanli was saying, somewhere in the background of Wei Wuxian's attention, "asking if I would approve -- oh, A-Xian, I thought you had already spoken about it! Last time you were here, I thought you were already courting until he told me you hadn't --"
"What -- last time-? Shijie, that was --" Wei Wuxian spluttered incoherently for a few moments then turned back to Lan Zhan, delight fast starting to win out over confusion. "Lan Zhan, we can -- you want to get married?"
"Mn." Lan Zhan looked suddenly hesitant, a slight tension creeping in around his eyebrows. "If Wei Ying is --"
"Yes!! Lan Zhan, of course!" Wei Wuxian deposited A-Yuan gently on the floor and flung himself into Lan Zhan's arms, pressing smiling kisses to his cheeks and leaning his full weight into the embrace.
"Shameless," murmured Lan Zhan into his ear, and Wei Wuxian laughed and kissed him.
*
"I was going to ask you," Lan Zhan said later as they sat side-by-side in the gathering dusk, bare feet dangling in the warm water below the wooden pier outside the guest quarters. The air was still and soft, only a faint breath of wind ruffling the clear surface of the lake, and Wei Wuxian felt warm and contented as he leaned his head onto Lan Zhan's shoulder and hummed in agreement to prompt him to continue. "Tonight, or tomorrow. I thought -- you would like it to be here."
"Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian felt his face heating up again and turned to bury it in Lan Zhan's robes, leaning in close and winding his arms around his waist at the same time. "You have to warn me before you say things like that!"
"Mn." Lan Zhan had lifted him half into his lap already, strong hands settled on his hips in a way that had Wei Wuxian suddenly lightheaded with familiar desire. "Wei Ying. This is your warning."
"Lan Zhan, ah --"
"I want to stand beside you for the rest of our lives. To be with you in every way."
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian repeated breathlessly, shifting further into Lan Zhan's lap, leaning close so their lips were barely a whisper apart.
"It cannot be anyone else but you."
"I love you," said Wei Wuxian against his lips, "I want to marry you, I want to sleep with you every day, I want --"
The end of the sentence didn't matter. Nothing mattered but the press of Lan Zhan's lips on his and the heat that sparked through them both as Lan Zhan lifted him easily and carried him back into their rooms.
It was going to be a perfect summer.