[♪♫♬]

[one_note]

[after Yi City and the second time Wei Wuxian gets Lan Wangji drunk, it takes about a day for them to reach the Garden of Annual blossoms. this curious incident takes place in the space of that day.

outside of appeasing the corpse pieces they've been collecting each night, it's not uncommon for Lan Wangji to take the time to practice on the guqin. he doesn't play entire songs, since he's not trying to interact with any spirits at the moment, but safely broken-up sections of Inquiry and Empathy (was Empathy always a musical technique? it is in this timeline, shut up) and the other songs he uses for battle hum through the walls of the rest stop they've paused at on the road.

it's partway through a passage of Empathy that there's a notable shriek of strings, and then silence; when Wei Wuxian goes to check, he'll find Lan Wangji half-collapsed over the instrument, his breathing harsh and a strange fluctuation of energy around him.

a qi deviation...? oh no.]

Comments

[one_note]

...he would not.

[the low, familiar slope of the dorms is just ahead! you can hear chatter and see figures in white robes moving through that particular area of the complex; it's fairly populated.]

[weiyingdown]

He wouldn't? But I'm wanted, aren't I? If the other sects knew that I was alive and he hid it, he'd be in trouble.

[Lan Wangji would probably be in trouble too, but it seems a little too unlikely to picture Lan Wangji turning him in at this point.

he keeps an eye out for familiar faces in the crowd]

[one_note]

I would talk to him, if it came to that.

[almost all of them are unfamiliar, but Lan Wangji picks up his pace, overtaking him and tugging him towards a certain part of the dorms]

[weiyingdown]

[letting himself be pulled along with a grin]

Awww, you'd do that for me? But I don't want you to get in trouble either, Lan Zhan.

[one_note]

Mm.

[brings him to a particular courtyard and section of the living quarters...Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi are there, sparring.]

[weiyingdown]

[fondness sparkles in his eyes when he sees them]

I wouldn't want to bring them trouble either. Your uncle would yell at them for sure.

They're good kids. You raised them pretty well!

[one_note]

[his expression...is as soft as Lan Wangji's face ever gets]

Lan Sizhui's birth name, at this time...is Lan Yuan.

[weiyingdown]

[he's still for a moment, expression blank, like there's a lag between what he heard and where his reaction should be]

[weiyingdown]

[and then he looks back and forth between Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui]

Huh? What?

[one_note]

After the Burial Mounds...

[WHICH YOU ALREADY KNEW ABOUT, WEI YING]

...I brought him home.

[weiyingdown]

I knew you found him, but...

[but keeping him? raising him? what came after finding him, he hadn't really thought about]

He's really A-Yuan?

[one_note]

Mm.

His memory...is not clear. He was very sick.

[weiyingdown]

That's--that's alright. I'm sure he's happier like this.

[they would only be painful memories anyways.

he pulls his hand out of Lan Wangji's so that he can throw his arms around his neck]

Thank you, Lan Zhan. You're really, really great.

[one_note]

[goes very still in his hold, with a slow breath, bowing his head slightly]

...you should still speak to him, Wei Ying.

[weiyingdown]

[laughing and letting go of Lan Wangji]

I intend to, of course!

[and he spins around and runs over to where the boys are sparring, interrupting them as he yells annd waves his arms]

Lan Sizhui! Lan Sizhui!

[one_note]

[the boys stop short and kind of hastily make their bows, especially when they notice Lan Wangji there too]

Ah! Senior Wei! W-what is it?

[weiyingdown]

[his grins gets bigger at the address; it makes sense that everyone in Lan Wangji's heart knows who he is, but that doesn't make it any less nice.

he stops in front of the boys and squishes Lan Sizhui's cheeks]

Nothing, nothing! I just wanted to say hello. Do you boys not have classes today?

[one_note]

[Lan Jingyi bursts out laughing and then puts his hands over his mouth; Lan Sizhui looks very startled, but does his best to answer]

Well--they, they have already let out for the afternoon?

[weiyingdown]

Ahhh, that's right! Classes are so early here. Well, if you're already finished, then you should both come mess around with me. We can hunt for pheasants with Hanguang-Jun.

[one_note]

[Lan Wangji's eyes widen, where he's stayed standing mostly unobtrusively at the side; the juniors break into excited chatter.]

A pheasant hunt, really?

I've never seen Hangguang-Jun hunt an animal, though...

[weiyingdown]

It's forbidden! We're going to break the rules.

[he gives Lan Wangji a butter-won't-melt-in-his-mouth kind of grin, waiting to be called out for his blatant attempt to have these impressionable teens break the rules.]

[one_note]

No.

[they immediately wilt, not even voicing the 'awwww' he can see in their faces]

[weiyingdown]

How stingy. As expected of Lan Zhan!

[he doesn't even let that deter him]

How about a night-hunt instead? Surely that's permitted.

[one_note]

Will that make you happy, Wei Ying?

[weiyingdown]

It would!

Ahhh, but not doing it would make me happy too. The point is to have fun; it doesn't really matter what we do.