[♪♫♬]

[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

[weiyingdown]

[of course he goes in!!! he's quiet, almost mindful of disturbing the residents of this place as he goes over to take a look at the books and scrolls on the table. is there anything interesting written on them?]

[one_note]

[they're study notes, but they seem of a lower level than the ones he remembers handling in the Cloud Recesses. for someone younger?]

[weiyingdown]

[flipping through them with mild interest before setting them back down]

Ah, does one of the teachers live here?

[one_note]

[Lan Wangji's eyes flicker to the bedroom with the slightly-opened door]

[weiyingdown]

[he

he can't not go look, he's too nosy to just leave. GOING TO SNEAK A LOOK INTO THE BEDROOM]

[one_note]

[you open the door into a neat and tidy bedroom with two beds. one side of it is painfully neat and correct, with Bichen placed meticulously on its stand by the perfectly made bed and a stack of cultivation scrolls on the desk; the other side is just as tidy, but more comfortably furnished, with a couple of chairs drawn together to make an elegant sitting area and a few nature scenes on the walls. the two sides have distinctly different personalities, but they don't clash at all, complementing each other instead.

Lan Xichen is sitting at the table copying something, his own sword at his side, but he looks up with a pleasant smile.]

Young master Wei! Welcome.

[weiyingdown]

[he should have been expecting this, but...he wasn't, and the surprise is on his face for a moment before he remembers to give Lan Xichen a bow in greeting.]

Hello, Zewu-jun. Is this your house?

[now he feels a little bad for barging in]

[one_note]

It's where I stay here, of course. Come in, come in! Should I get you anything to drink? Or are you just passing through today?

[rises gracefully to return Wei Wuxian's courtesy. god, do the Lans have to look beautiful all the time??]

[weiyingdown]

[all Lans are beautiful and it's a problem!!

he steps inside, curiosity still bubbling in him]

I was just passing through, but you have an embarrassing stories about Lan Zhan that you want to tell me I can find time for that.

[one_note]

[laughs]

Come, young master Wei. Surely you have your own stories about my brother to reflect on by now, if that is what you want? I wouldn't wish to betray his confidence.

[gestures to the other chair; sit, sit!]

[weiyingdown]

[taking a seat, making sure to sit properly instead of lounging. there's something about the air around Lan Xichen that makes him feel compelled to behave--at least until he forgets he's supposed to be behaving. he steals a glance back in the direction he came from, to see if Lan Wangji followed at all.]

I only know the things that I was there for. How about something he wouldn't mind you telling me instead?

[one_note]

[Lan Wangji doesn't seem to have followed you inside at all... Lan Xichen gives you a gentle smile.]

You know the Lan Sect's rules -- no talking about others unless they're present.

[he taps his chin thoughtfully]

You are very curious, aren't you? You almost remind me of someone.

[weiyingdown]

Who do I remind you of? A student of yours?

[he was enough of a disaster during his time visiting the Cloud Recesses; he can hardly imagine a student like him being part of the Lan Sect.

But it's because the thought is so hilarious that he can't stop from smiling]

[one_note]

[Lan Xichen is still smiling at him benignly, a glitter of amusement in his expression now. he stands to go to a tea set in the corner and takes a moment, back to Wei Wuxian, to begin preparing it.]

Please, I insist -- let's have something to drink. Wangji so rarely gets visitors here.

[returns with the tea and passes Wei Wuxian a cup]

Hm, hm... I suppose one story would be fine, without names. It was all so very long ago. Yes, it was a student studying with the Lan Sect.

[weiyingdown]

[taking the tea cup with a nod and sipping at it]

If it was a long time ago then you both must have been much younger.

[one_note]

Of course, but it was after my time taking lessons with Uncle. I only caught glimpses now and then.

[chuckles into his teacup before sipping, indulgent]

This student did very well in his classes — his cultivation was excellent — but he was quite shy. Now, his mind, he would speak any day! But he was always a bit embarrassed to show his feelings... no matter how obvious they were.

[weiyingdown]

[he can't help but try to think of who this cultivator might be. had he met him before? it was hard to tell with only that description.]

Bottling things up like that couldn't have been good for him. It can lead to all sorts of misunderstandings.

[one_note]

Oh, yes, certainly. Though I never understood why no one around him-- well, that's neither here nor there.

[sips his tea! don't try too hard to figure it out, I'm being deliberately mysterious, his smile seems to say. wouldn't want to break the rules of the Lan Sect.]

In any case, another student came to study with Uncle who he became very curious about. But because he was shy, it was difficult for him to make friends with that person, no matter how much he wanted to learn more about them.

[weiyingdown]

[sipping his tea, too, and leaning closer to listen better. his elbows land on the table as he shakes his head]

Was it too hard to just say that he wanted to be friends?

[one_note]

[tut tuts with his tongue]

You shouldn't underestimate shyness! Even more than that, the more this young cultivator saw of the other student, the more he wondered if he might be in love. Love throws you even more into confusion than a little difficulty expressing yourself might. Surely you've experienced this, young master Wei?

[weiyingdown]

Me? Love?

[he splutters, not expecting the question, and does his best to make sure he doesn't spit out any tea.]

I...I definitely haven't!

[one_note]

No? That's a shame. It's a very powerful thing, love. You can live on even a memory of it for a long time, no matter how dark things get.

[TEASIP]

Where was I? Oh yes, the young cultivator. Well— I have my own views on what happened, of course. What I do know is that he grew more and more curious about the one he had feelings for. He would listen for their footstep in the halls, or pop up in strange places to overhear their chatter with their friends. He even followed them in secret and rescued them from savage beasts that had scared them, and the like. Any story he heard about them, he'd listen as if it was water to a man in a desert — that was what made me think of him, haha. He couldn't help wanting to understand them better no matter how embarrassed he became.

[weiyingdown]

[sipping at his tea as an excuse to avoid making eye contact with Lan Xichen. he doesn't want to have an awkward conversation about love in Lan Wangji's heart]

That sounds like more than just idle curiosity to me. I can't say that I have the same level of, ah, dedication.

[one_note]

Hmmm. I suppose not. This was a very dedicated young man, and true feelings for someone aren't often an idle thing.

[finishes his tea with a little sigh]

Now then, was that the sort of story you're interested in, young master Wei?

[weiyingdown]

Something like that. It was an interesting story, Zewu-jun, but there wasn't an ending to it.