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“Lan Zhaaaan. It’s too damn hot,” Wei Wuxian grumbled.
The man softly sleeping underneath him didn’t offer any kind of response, and his chest steadily heaved up and down. He was the perfect picture of a sleeping beauty.
Wei Wuxian placed a few sloppy kisses on his husband’s glistening chest before sliding onto the floor. He threw on the lightest robe he could find and slipped through an open window, sneaking out into the night.
He groggily marched along the hillside, wiping beads of sweat from his brow. The overwhelming heat was suffocating. The sheer robes he’d donned were already drenched with sweat and clung tightly to his body.
“Why is it… so… hot…” he grunted between exasperated breaths.
Darkness blanketed the quiet, humid air. The only sounds echoing through the trees were Wei Wuxian’s heavy footsteps, occasionally punctuated by his loud whining.
He desperately attempted to fan himself with his fingers. His eyes were still bleary with sleep, and he instinctively shuffled his way towards the coolest place in the Cloud Recesses, the Calming Pond.
It was the perfect plan; Wei Wuxian could sleep literally anywhere. He'd sink into the cooling waters of the calming spring, plop his head onto a soft pile of leaves, and comfortably snooze the night away.
However, there was a hitch: the pond was occupied.
Wei Wuxian furiously rubbed his eyes and smacked his head. No matter how many times he blinked, the mysterious specter lingered. Was there really someone else brazen enough to sneak around the Cloud Recesses in the middle of the night?
A closer look revealed a very familiar figure. Wei Wuxian would recognize those perfect muscles, exceptionally beautiful hair, and otherworldly aura anywhere.
“Lan Zhan!?” he mumbled to himself.
Lan Wangji had been sleeping like a baby when he left - how the hell had he beaten him to the pond?
He shrugged off his confusion and snuck forward, a devious smile sprouting on his face. Wei Wuxian would never turn down an opportunity to tease his husband.
“Lan Zhaaaaan,” he said playfully as he wrapped his hands around the man’s eyes. “Guess who?”
The voice that responded was much softer than he’d expected. The man gently pulled Wei Wuxian’s hands down and inclined his head slightly.
“...Wei-gongzi?”
Wei Wuxian abruptly recoiled and fell to the ground. Any sleep that had addled his brain immediately dissolved at the realization that this person was definitely not his husband.
Though he looked like Lan Wangji from a distance, there were minor distinctions - his build was a bit slimmer, his face was softer, and his back was notably free of any imperfections.
“Zewu-jun,” Wei Wuxian mumbled awkwardly.
The surrounding scenery of the pond suddenly became a lot more interesting, and he diverted all his attention to studying it in a desperate attempt to avoid making eye contact.
“Wei-gongzi, you have a very interesting way of greeting people,” Lan Xichen said. Though he had essentially just been assaulted, his voice was calm and even.
“I’m sorry. Somehow I… mistook you for Lan Zhan. I’m incredibly tired. Ha ha ha,” Wei Wuxian laughed as he scratched his cheeks.
He still didn’t know where to look. Though Lan Xichen was safely submerged under water, he was as naked as could be. And not only was he the leader of the notoriously modest and pure Lan Clan, he was also his brother-in-law. Peeking upon his naked form felt wrong in so many ways.
Lan Xichen silently watched over Wei Wuxian as he fidgeted in place. His black robes were soaked with sweat, and his cheeks were flushed from the heat.
“You’re here to soak, I presume?” Lan Xichen asked.
“Well, yeah. That was the plan. But don’t mind me, Zewu-jun. I don’t want to intrude. Though… I can’t say I’m not surprised to see you here this late.”
“I suppose even someone like me breaks the rules from time to time,” Lan Xichen replied with a soft smile. “I much prefer the pond at this time of night. It’s peaceful. Come, you don’t need to linger over there. You may join me.”
Wei Wuxian’s jaw could have hit the floor. One-on-one time in the Calming Pond with Lan Xichen!?
“Zewu-jun, you know I’m a married man,” he teased, dramatically fanning himself a few times. Though his words were playful, his insides were twisting with anxiety as he deliberated on whether or not to accept the extremely unexpected invitation.
“It will be fine. I’m sure Wangji won’t mind,” Lan Xichen casually replied.
Wei Wuxian almost laughed out loud. It seemed Lan Xichen still had a few things to learn about his brother.
The image of Lan Wangji’s handsome face fluttered into his mind. Though his husband was a stoic man, he harbored intense feelings within his chest. And as Wei Wuxian often teased, Lan Wangji’s favorite drink was vinegar - and he drank it often.
Lan Wangji was fiercely protective and jealous. Would he consider a harmless soak with another naked man some strange kind of infidelity? And was it better or worse that said man happened to be Lan Wangji’s older brother?
But Wei Wuxian couldn’t fight the crushing heat that was threatening to dissolve him into a pile of mud. Just standing next to the water had already cooled him down. He could only imagine how satisfying it would be to submerge his whole body.
“…Alright, I won’t say no,” he finally said.
A quick dip wouldn’t hurt, after all. He’d cool himself down and hurry back to the Tranquility Room before Lan Wangji woke up.
As he began to remove his robes, however, his hands immediately froze.
One of the reasons he was so damn sweaty was because of the heat. The other reason was because he’d spent the first half of the night tightly entangled with Lan Wangji, and the bright red evidence of their heated exchange lingered across his entire body.
He glanced over at Lan Xichen, who was mindlessly staring into the depths of the clear waters.
“Um, Zewu-jun? Do you mind closing your eyes for a minute? I’m pretty… uh, shy, you know?”
He spoke in a playful tone that hid the strange anxiety bubbling in his chest. How could he confidently look Lan Xichen in the eye? Letting him see the marks was basically akin to admitting that he’d just had passionate sex with his younger brother.
Lan Xichen responded with a courteous smile and gracefully pivoted around, closing his eyes for good measure.
Wei Wuxian hurriedly stripped off his clothes, darted his eyes around a few times, then leapt into the pond. He sent a few waves rippling, and Lan Xichen slowly opened his eyes again, sensing that his mischievous counterpart had arrived.
“Haaaaaah,” Wei Wuxian said as he squinted his eyes, “this feels so damn nice! Zewu-jun, the Lan Clan has a lot of nice things. But this pond might be my favorite part.”
The anxiety that had plagued him gradually evaporated under the sweet relief from the water.
He submerged himself until only his eyes peeked out, and then he blew a few bubbles out of pure satisfaction.
Lan Xichen smiled softly at the man splashing around like a child next to him.
“Are you sure your favorite part is not Wangji?”
Wei Wuxian coughed, inhaling a few big gulps of water. He pounded his chest a few times as he desperately cleared his throat.
“Zewu-jun, I didn’t know you had such a good sense of humor,” he said with a raspy voice.
“Is it not the truth?”
“No, you’re probably right,” Wei Wuxian replied with a laugh. “Anyway, Zewu-jun. What are you doing here so late at night?” he continued, hoping to change the subject.
Wei Wuxian could tease just about anyone and was never afraid of starting a conversation. But this was his unreadable brother-in-law, and notably the leader of the Lan Clan. And more importantly, their last interaction at the temple had been somewhat… nuanced.
Lan Xichen took a few deep breaths and pondered in deep silence.
“I wanted… to take my mind off things. I thought this would be a suitable distraction,” he eventually said. The gentle smile that always sat upon his face faded ever so slightly.
Wei Wuxian instantly knew what troubles Lan Xichen was alluding to. He hadn’t been the same since their fateful encounter with Jin Guangyao.
“Zewu-jun, look. I’m… I’m sorry about what happened before.”
“It is alright, Wei-gongzi. You mustn't dwell on it. Let us talk about other matters,” Lan Xichen replied in a kind voice, turning his clear gaze on Wei Wuxian.
In the faint glow of the moonlight, his solemn expression bore a mesmerizing resemblance to Lan Wangji. The similarities between the Twin Jades of Lan really were uncanny, Wei Wuxian thought to himself.
“How is your relationship with Wangji?” Lan Xichen suddenly asked.
Wei Wuxian had only just cleared out his lungs when he began mercilessly coughing again. “Zewu-jun? What exactly are you asking me right now?”
“I’m just curious. Will you indulge me? Wangji is my precious brother, after all. And you know his temperament. He would never willingly divulge these kinds of things,” Lan Xichen continued.
Wei Wuxian knew his husband’s temperament all right - and he was pretty confident he knew how he’d feel about him having this late night conversation with his naked brother.
Whatever, he ultimately thought to himself. It was late, he was drunk on sleeplessness, and this was a rare chance to have a heart-to-heart with his brother-in-law.
“Things are pretty good,” he eventually said.
“Oh? That’s reassuring to hear. In what ways?” Lan Xichen prodded.
Sex was the first thing that came to Wei Wuxian’s mind, but admitting that would likely give Lan Xichen a heart attack.
“He just…treats me really well,” came his eventual vague answer.
“Please, go on,” Lan Xichen replied, looking at him with expectant eyes.
Wei Wuxian cursed his broken brain. Maybe it was the fact that he was naked in a pool with another very chiseled, naked man, but the only answer he could think of to these strangely pointed questions was still… sex.
“Well, let’s see… He spoils me rotten,” he replied, trying to purge his brain of its intrusive lewd thoughts. “I can’t remember the last time I had to make myself breakfast.”
Lan Xichen seemed pleased by this answer; his eyes shone brightly as he gently smiled, and his brilliant reflection bounced off the clear pond like a mirror.
“It’s not a bad thing to be spoiled sometimes,” he replied.
Wei Wuxian scooted just a little bit closer and propped his arms against a nearby rock, sighing deeply.
“Zewu-jun, normally I’d agree with you. But I’m starting to think it’s a serious problem. If this goes on, I’m worried that I might even forget how to feed myself!”
Lan Xichen smiled earnestly. “I don’t think that will be an issue. If you ever forget how to eat, Wangji will surely be happy to feed you, too.”
“That would be one hell of a sight,” Wei Wuxian casually responded. He considered himself pretty shameless, but even he felt the need to uphold his own dignity. As such, he wasn’t about to admit that Lan Wangji had in fact fed him breakfast just the other day - and that wasn’t even the first time.
“Wei-gongzi, you seem displeased. Do you dislike Wangji’s tendencies?”
“Huh? Nah, I’m not saying that at all. It’s nice. Too nice, even. And I just… don’t feel like I’ve done anything to deserve it, ya know? All I do is run around, stirring up trouble and talking shit,” he said, pivoting to face his brother-in-law.
“That’s another thing about Lan Zhan! He seriously just lets me get away with whatever the hell I want! I’m convinced I could burn down an entire village, and he’d just give me a light smack on the hand before paying to fix the whole damn thing.”
Lan Xichen laughed, and in that brief moment, it was as if the heaviness that burdened his shoulders was magically lifted. Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened at the sight. Amidst his gentle laughter, Lan Xichen looked surprisingly young and carefree.
“Zewu-jun, what’s so funny?”
“A peculiar image just came into my mind. I was thinking that you and Wangji would make very interesting parents,” Lan Xichen replied earnestly, the soft laugh lines on his handsome face still lingering. “I always assumed that Wangji would be the stern type. But it seems that he prefers to take a softer approach with those he cares deeply for.”
Wei Wuxian suddenly felt that he had a lot to learn about his brother-in-law, who somehow already had him and Lan Wangji pegged as parents.
“Believe me - Lan Zhan can be rough,” he quipped back, though he immediately smacked a hand over his own loose lips.
“Really? That comes as a bit of a shock. From what I’ve seen, Wangji is never rough with you.”
“There’s a lot you’d be surprised to find out,” Wei Wuxian cooly replied. If only Lan Xichen knew the darker sides of his “pure-hearted” brother.
“Interesting. Well, the two of us have nothing but time. Let’s talk, then. Here’s another question for you - what is your favorite thing about Wangji?” Lan Xichen asked.
Wei Wuxian's eyes spun around in his head, and he seriously wondered whether he was really talking to Zewu-jun or some kind of imposter. But he was never one to turn down a conversation, and he earnestly deliberated on the new question.
He’d never been the academic type, and he’d always shirked off his assignments in favor of coming up with some sharp-tongued excuse. Yet as he contemplated all the things he loved about Lan Wangji, he suddenly thought that he could pen an entire book series, and it still wouldn’t be enough pages to encapsulate all the wonderful things about the wonderful man.
“Zewu-jun, we might be here all night if I try to answer that honestly,” he boasted with a booming laugh.
Lan Xichen’s eyes glistened with life, and he flashed a dazzling smile. “Very well. We’ll leave that for another time. How about this, then - what is your least favorite thing about Wangji?”
Now this was an interesting question. If the things Wei Wuxian liked about Lan Wangji could fill an entire library, then the things he disliked wouldn’t even occupy a corner of the smallest shack.
He struggled to find a suitable answer. Lan Wangji liked biting him in bed, but Wei Wuxian was kind of into that. Lan Wangji was a little clingy, but Wei Wuxian was arguably worse. Lan Wangji scolded him a lot, but that was just another one of their kinks.
In the end, he came up blank and went with his tried and true response of, “He’s a fuddy-duddy.”
Lan Xichen laughed again. “Some might say the same about me.”
“No way! Zewu-jun, if you’re a fuddy-duddy, then Lan Zhan is a literal stick in the mud.”
“I only jest,” Lan Xichen responded softly. “Wei-gongzi, you say Wangji is boring. Yet I see the way you laugh when you’re together.”
“…I can’t deny that,” Wei Wuxian said, flashing a wry smile. His Lan Zhan was diligent and serious to a fault - and yet somehow, no one could make him laugh more.
Lan Xichen smiled and nodded his head in approval. “Very good.”
“Very good? Is this a test or something?” Wei Wuxian asked with a laugh. “Tell it to me straight, Zewu-jun. Did I pass?”
Much to his surprise, Lan Xichen leaned over to gently ruffle his hair. His hands were still slightly dripping with water and messed up his already tousled locks.
“Of course you pass. I’m beginning to understand why Wangji is so taken with you,” he said with a smile. “I can rest assured knowing that my brother is in such capable hands.”
“Oh, what’s this? Zewu-jun, you really do have a keen eye! As expected of Clan Leader Lan!”
Wei Wuxian playfully splashed around a bit before leaning his arms against the rocky edge of the pond.
“I’m cute, right? Anyone would think so, right?” he asked, beaming a bright smile.
Lan Xichen laughed as he continued to pat Wei Wuxian’s head like a child. “Of course.”
Wei Wuxian was quite pleased with this answer, and his eyes squinted with delight.
He was used to being pampered, and he couldn’t help but slip into his extra willful persona. It was likely an unintended result of his time with his shijie. He gravitated towards older siblings and automatically reverted into his childish self whenever he sensed the potential to be spoiled rotten.
“Say, Zewu-jun. I think we’ve gotten a little closer tonight,” he said, blowing a few bubbles in the water. “So… Can I call you da-ge?”
The hand that had been so softly petting his head abruptly froze in midair.
Wei Wuxian suddenly wanted to bite his own foolish tongue off. He could tell by the forlorn look in Lan Xichen’s eyes that he had been forced to remember his own late da-ge, Nie Mingjue. And you couldn’t mention one sworn brother without thinking about the other one.
“...I’m just screwing around again, Zewu-jun. Feel free to ignore me! Actually, that’s a pretty good thing to do in general,” Wei Wuxian hurriedly said, reflexively swimming a few paces back.
He floundered around in awkward silence for a few moments, seriously deliberating whether or not to sink himself into the water and never come out. However, the smile on Lan Xichen’s face gradually returned, and he gently ruffled Wei Wuxian’s hair once more.
“It’s fine, Wei-gongzi. I’ve…never been called like that before,” he said softly. “It was a bit unexpected, but certainly not unwelcomed. Perhaps I should change my greetings, as well. Shall I start addressing you as Wei Ying? Or better yet… A-Xian?”
Wei Wuxian exhaled all the air he’d been trapping deep within his lungs. And as immense relief filled his chest, he clutched his sides and laughed out loud.
Hearing the name ‘A-Xian’ from Lan Xichen filled him with an indescribable giddiness. He’d always assumed it would be painful hearing those words again. And yet somehow… it was comforting, like a wound was slowly starting to heal.
“Mm, I don’t have a problem with it,” he happily chimed, “but someone else might…”
It was evident in Lan Xichen’s teasing smile that he knew exactly who that someone was. It wasn’t hard to guess, after all - Lan Wangji was surprisingly protective of his right to call for Wei Wuxian so fondly.
“Don’t worry about Wangji. He will be fine,” he replied. “If not, your da-ge will give him a stern talking to.”
Wei Wuxian couldn’t fight the smile spreading across his face. His brother-in-law was turning out to be a lot more interesting than he’d ever thought possible.
“Hehe,” he happily replied. “See, this is why I like you, Zewu-jun. You’re nice. Now, if only you could talk some sense into Hanguang-jun… H-H-Hanguang-jun?!”
The cooling waters of the spring felt like a moat of lava compared to the frigid aura coming from Lan Wangji, who had seemingly appeared from nothingness and was now towering over him at the edge of the spring.
“Xiongzhang,” he greeted dutifully, giving his older brother a respectful bow. He then turned his cold gaze upon his stark naked husband.
“Wei Ying, explain.”
Wei Wuxian shrugged his shoulders and splashed around a bit, aiming his attacks directly at the hem of Lan Wangji’s robes.
“What’s there to explain? It was too damn hot in the Tranquility Room, so I decided to play around in the water instead.”
“...With xiongzhang?” Lan Wangji asked, furrowing his brows.
Wei Wuxian laughed out loud again before flashing a coy little glance. “Lan Zhan, what’s got you so worked up? Did you think that I snuck out to seduce Zewu-jun, dragging him into the pond for a late-night rendezvous?”
“Frivolous,” Lan Wangji whispered. He clenched his jaw and leaned down to the edge of his pond, extending a hand towards his husband. “We are going back. Now.”
“Don’t wanna,” Wei Wuxian pouted as he sank even lower into the water. “It’s way too damn stuffy in that room. I’ll never get any sleep. Plus, Zewu-jun and I were in the middle of a heart-to-heart. We’re - ah ah ah! Hanguang-jun, let go. Let goooo,” he pouted as Lan Wangji grabbed him by the arm.
“Xiongzhang, please close your eyes.”
“It's alright, Wangji. Wei-gongzi and I have already seen plenty of each other tonight,” Lan Xichen replied with a strange, taunting smile plastered on his face.
Lan Wangji reflexively let go of his husband out of pure shock, sending him sliding into the depths of the water. Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and strongly considered latching himself onto a rock at the bottom of the pond. It seemed he’d very much underestimated the Elder Jade’s ability to tease.
His reprieve was short lived, however, as Lan Wangji immediately reached down and yanked him back up. Wei Wuxian suddenly yearned for the desperate, sticky heat of the Tranquility Room. Anything would be better than this frigid storm chilling his body to the bone.
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said in a scolding tone that Wei Wuxian was all too familiar with, “what is xiongzhang talking about?”
“Nothing! Nothing at all. Lan Zhan, look me in the eyes. Your brother is just screwing with you, ‘kay?” Wei Wuxian pleaded in an attempt to placate his fuming husband.
“...Xiongzhang does not make those kinds of jokes like you do,” Lan Wangji responded, his glare growing darker with every breath.
“Lan Zhan, you clearly don’t know your brother that well. Apparently, he’s been hiding one hell of a sense of humor. He’s just messing with us, and-“
“No more excuses, Wei Ying.”
“I’m not lying, I swear! Da-ge,” Wei Wuxian pleaded, pivoting towards Lan Xichen, “tell him the truth! You don’t mean to throw Wei Ying to the wolves like this, do you?”
Lan Wangji tightened his already firm grip, trapping Wei Wuxian’s arm like a vise.
“Da-ge?”
His tone was incredibly low and dark, and Wei Wuxian suddenly felt that he was in grave danger.
“Ha ha ha ha. Just a joke, just a joke,” he babbled.
Lan Xichen seemed to take a strange delight out of teasing him, and he fueled the fires with, “Of course. I’m only joking. Da-ge wouldn’t dare hurt his dear little brother like this.”
Wei Wuxian swore he could feel his bones creak from the earth-shattering force with which his husband clutched onto his arm.
“Dear…little brother?” Lan Wangji mumbled under his breath, as if he couldn’t believe the words he’d just heard. “Wei Ying, it seems you and xiongzhang have gotten… very close.”
This was the moment where Wei Wuxian would typically sprinkle in a few little jokes and taunts, using all his reliable tricks to get under Lan Wangji’s thin skin. But even he was frozen, struck speechless under his husband’s piercing, evocative stare.
“You could say that,” was the only thing he could bring himself to say.
As if sensing that things were about to get a little heated, Lan Xichen graciously closed his eyes and made a point to noticeably spin around so that his back was turned against the couple.
Lan Wangji immediately took the opportunity to pull Wei Wuxian out of the pond and into his embrace.
The water dripping from Wei Wuxian’s wet body soaked through Lan Wangji’s pristine white robes, clinging to his chiseled chest and revealing all his muscular features. It left little to the imagination - not that Wei Wuxian needed any help there; he’d memorized every curve of his husband’s perfect body.
And though he’d just been very well satiated with that very body earlier in the night, Wei Wuxian suddenly found himself wanting more. But Lan Wangji ignored all his husband’s playful, lustful glances as he quickly dried him off and dressed him.
“Lan-er-gege, don’t be mad, hmm? Your Wei Ying is just playing around,” Wei Wuxian whispered into his lover’s ear. Paying no mind to the other Twin Jade of Lan that was present, he deliberately tugged at his collar to reveal a teasing glimpse of his fair skin.
“Shameless,” Lan Wangji grumbled, swiftly moving to cinch Wei Wuxian’s robes even tighter than before. Once he was satisfied that his husband was in a more modest state, he snatched his wrist and pulled him close.
“Xiongzhang, we will take our leave now,” he said, bowing deeply. Before even receiving a response, he spun around and dragged Wei Wuxian back towards the Tranquility Room, completely oblivious to the playful smile on his brother’s lips.
“Of course. But Wangji,” Lan Xichen called out, “do not be so rough on A-Xian in the future. Even the healing waters of the pond won’t do much for marks like those.”
Lan Wangji immediately stopped moving.
“...A-Xian?”
Though Lan Xichen was the one who uttered the provocative words, Wei Wuxian was the one being glared at. Lan Wangji tightened his hold and whispered into Wei Wuxian’s ears in a low, deep voice.
“You will tell me more when we get back,” he said, punctuating his light threat with a nibble to Wei Wuxian’s earlobe.
Wei Wuxian gulped, and a subtle fire began burning in his chest. He suddenly felt extremely grateful to his brother-in-law for giving him the sweet opportunity to play with jealous Lan Wangji.
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry. Hanguang-jun, I’ll do everything you say. Just don’t go too hard on me, okay? Da-ge won’t be happy if he finds out you’ve been bullying me,” he whimpered.
“...Stop calling him that,” Lan Wangji replied, tightening his hold on Wei Wuxian’s wrist. He continued dragging his husband along, and his footsteps grew even more hurried and unorderly.
“Hmm? What’s wrong with calling him da-ge?” Wei Wuxian replied, stroking his chin a few times. “Actually, now that I think about it… Maybe you’re right. Da-ge isn’t good, after all.”
As much as he struggled, he couldn’t free himself from Lan Wangji’s iron hold. With a casual shrug, he spun around and waved his other hand into the air, bouncing up and down as he desperately tried to get Lan Xichen’s attention.
“Gege!” he shouted with all his might. “Xichen-gege! I’ll see you later! Let’s continue where we left off another day, ‘kay?”
Before he had the chance to say anything else, he was suddenly lifted off his feet and pulled into Lan Wangji’s arms. He buried his face in his husband’s broad chest and eagerly listened to the sound of his rapidly beating heart, taking pride in the fact that he’d teased him to such a state.
“Do not address xiongzhang like that,” Lan Wangji replied in a low voice.
“Why not? Gege and I get along really well, though? And he said he was totally fine with it,” Wei Wuxian playfully responded, twirling the long headband that trailed along Lan Wangji’s neck.
“Tell me. Who is your gege?” Lan Wangji snapped back.
Wei Wuxian laughed out loud, his chest filled to the brim with devilish delight at successfully taunting his vinegar-addicted husband.
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry, Lan Zhan. Or should I say…Lan-er-gege?” he said, kissing a few locks of Lan Wangji’s pristine hair. “Gege, you’re the only one I’ll ever call so sweetly. So don’t be mad, hmm?”
“...Good,” Lan Wangji mumbled, a faint blush trickling up his pale ears. “Do not forget that again.”
“Yes, Lan-er-gege. Whatever you say. I’m all yours,” Wei Wuxian whispered into his ears.
He wrapped his arms around Lan Wangji’s neck, inhaling a heavenly breath of sandalwood. Though he’d spent the whole night moaning about the heat, he suddenly felt that being desperately pinned underneath Lan Wangji’s sweaty body wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Back in the Calming Pond, Lan Xichen smiled softly as he watched the rowdy couple slowly fade into the distance.
“To be young and in love,” he mused to himself, sinking deeper into the water. The heavy, stifling air around him was deathly quiet again.
Lan Xichen had been sequestered in solitude for many months now, and the things that once brought him great joy couldn’t even begin to lift his sunken spirits. And yet, as he thought back to his playful banter with his brother’s mischievous husband, he couldn't help but chuckle.
At first, he didn’t understand his brother’s obsession with the man. The two of them were polar opposites. If Lan Wangji was a perfectly sculpted layer of frosty ice, then Wei Wuxian was the blazing flame that threatened to melt him into nothingness.
But Lan Xichen had gradually come to realize that Wei Wuxian was much more than that. The playful man had a curious, unique ability to soothe the soul and could somehow make any problem feel like nothing.
Lan Xichen stared up at the starry sky and took a few deep breaths, enjoying the gentle sensation of the water lapping at his lap while the soft breeze caressed his cheeks. He was all alone with his thoughts again, an uncomfortable feeling that he had grown all too accustomed to in recent months.
And yet this time, he was smiling.