#('lan yuan' the character used means like...'to wish' or 'to hope' and also 'sizhui' means 'to remember and long for' so! that's fine!) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

words-writ-in-starlight · 5 years

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I've always thought that LWJ didn't really spend 16 years hunting to find WWX. I'm sure he kept his eyes open and looked for any sign of demonic cultivation, sure. But I also think he spent 16 years looking for danger so that he could increase his chance of dying young. Trouble is, he's too skilled to die easy. I headcanon that Lan Xichen made LWJ take the juniors with him on night hunts because he knew his brother wouldn't put /other/ people in clear danger, & he just wanted to keep LWJ alive.

ANGST! No dialogue, noplot, just ANGST! This is who I havealways been!

It’s not—Xichenknows that his brother isn’t likely to die on a night hunt. It’s not thatsimple. In a way, he’s not even worried for him. No matter whatelse he is or may be, Xichen’s brother is still Hanguang-jun, the bearer oflight, who stormed Wen supervisory strongholds and who stood against most ofthe cultivation world and whose skill as a warrior is very arguablyunparalleled. The only one who could match him—

Well. Xichen doesn’t worry about his brotherbeing beaten in battle, these days.

And he doesn’t worry about Wangji allowing himselfto be killed, either, although that’s a closer way to define it. There islittle A-Yuan, sweet-eyed Lan Sizhui, to think about, who Wangji loves with adesperate ferocity Xichen has only seen in him once before. Sizhui is twelve and the best son any father could hope for, in Xichen’sadmittedly biased opinion, talented and kind and earnest, easy to love andquick to love in return. Xichen loves him almost as recklessly as heloves his brother. He can do nothing less for the only person who seemsto bring his solemn didi joy anymore.

He is utterly confident that Wangji would neverleave his son, never, not for all the peace that might be found on the otherside of a sword.

This absolute truth,this wholehearted confidence that Wangji will always return, no matter thechallenge, no matter the risk, makes it difficult to explain why Xichenworries.

The thing is, Lan Wangji, Hanguang-jun, A-Zhan, is dimmed, in away that tears at Xichen to see it. He is less, as if he abandoned more than just color when hestopped wearing blue. There were days, when Xichen would visit duringWangji’s seclusion—and the elders be damned, for trying to stop him, for tryingto keep A-Yuan away, he is Sect Leader and he was not having it—when he wouldhave sworn that he might have seen straight through his brother. Wangjihas always been quiet, he was a quiet baby, but since—since, he’s been aghost of himself. Even after three years in seclusion and nearly a decadeto heal, Xichen still barely recognizes him. A thick shade has settledover the light in Xichen’s brother, and he is afraid that someday, whileHanguang-jun will come back from a night hunt, that faint light will not.

Xichen is supposed to be wise, he’s supposed to beZewu-jun, he’s supposed to be the calm, enlightened Sect Leader of GusuLan, buthe doesn’t know how to help his brother. He hasn’t found a good answer inall this time. He knows that the wound of—that the wound won’t heal becauseWangji won’t let it heal, and he doesn’t know where to go fromhere.

He remembers when Sizhui first began to learn toplay the guqin, and brought a piece to Xichen in childlike pride. Hislullaby, he had called it as he plucked out a careful melody, learned by heart. Without spiritual energy directed and channeled, without the complexities of anexperienced hand, it was only music, but Xichen had listened to Inquiry toomany times not to be able to translate it.

Are you there?

Are you lost?

Are you at peace?

Are you with your sister? Your parents? Your people?

Are you waiting?

I miss you.

It’s not—it’s not a search, not anymore, Xichendoesn’t think. It’s been too long to expect an answer, and Wangji hasnever been a fool. But Wangji can do nothing else. There’s nowherefor him to bow, there was no vigil to keep, there will never be anyone whoburns paper money or grieves with him. So Wangji plays Inquiry, over andover again, to a spirit that doesn’t answer, and someday Sizhui will learnInquiry himself, and know that his lullaby was always a eulogy spoken insecret.

Once, Xichen tried to make his brother stop. Tried to make him leave off his long, slow grief, to shakehim out of his ghost-self and back to life and light. He hadn’t been ableto think of anything except to take Wangji’s guqin, an attempt to force him tostop, stop, playing that damned unanswered query. Andit had worked, in a way. The cold, blinding flare of rage, when Wangjiswept uninvited into Xichen’s rooms and demanded flatly that his instrument bereturned, please, Sect Leader Lan—it had been good to see. Proof that,even if the embers were banked and dull-glowing, there was still a fire to bewoken in Xichen’s brother. But the days of bitter silence, afterward,wasn’t worth the short-lived victory.

Sizhui had sided with his father, of course, even ifhe didn’t then understand what the point of contention was. He had given Xichen affronted looks andorbited closer to Wangji than usual for weeks. Sizhui had always knownthat there was a wound somewhere in his adopted father, in that sharpperceptive way that’s entirely too unlike Wangji, entirely too himself to beanything but a relic of before Cloud Recesses, the time that he doesn’tremember and Wangji won’t discuss.

Xichen has his theories. But Lan Sizhui is thepride of GusuLan Sect, the brightest light in his father’s life, and Xichen isgrateful that someone else loves his brother enough to be angry on hisbehalf. Xichen’s theories have been buried in a shallow grave for manyyears.

And Wangji is only himself, in any way thatXichen can recognize, with Sizhui. It’sbeen like that ever since he first brought the boy back, when A-Yuan, feverishand delirious and calling for people none of them knew, crept into hissickbed. Wangji had been barely responsive,had allowed the physicians to tend his scourged back and had stared at the wall,not sleeping, not meditating, not speaking, just waiting. When Xichen got word that his brother hadspoken, to call the weeping A-Yuan over and tell him, quietly, that the man hecalled for was not going to come back, he’d felt a rush of relief like hislungs trying to jump out of his mouth. But he hadn’t spoken to Xichen, not that day, nor for several more, onlyholding A-Yuan close while the boy slept.

Xichen hadn’t gotten a word out of his brother foreight days after he was whipped, and then, when he finally did, it was only toclaim A-Yuan as his son in a tone that broke Xichen’s heart. He had forced the elders to accept the child withoutarguing or demanding details from Wangji, had simply put him in the sectrecords as Lan Yuan and stared down anyone who questioned his actions. Xichen would have done anything Wangji askedof him, in that moment, anything to keep him talking, anything to keep A-Yuan nearhim. Wangji had been nearly a corpsehimself, in those early days, lightless even in the presence of A-Yuan’s tinysun, but he had moved and spoken and lived when A-Yuan was near. The effect should have grown less pronouncedas Wangji returned to himself, but instead it has only made the difference moreapparent.

Maybe that’s what he’s worried about, when Wangjileaves on night hunts. Some part ofXichen never got over the fear of it, of seeing his solemnly brilliant diditransformed into a shell, silent and detached, the heart of him carved out. Some part of him is terrified still, thatbeing away from Sizhui for too long will let Wangji slip back into thatnumbness, that corpse-cold stillness, so different from his familiar reserve.

Hanguang-jun would never die on a night hunt, notthrough anything but dire misfortune. Heis still the best of the Lan, their bearer of light. But Xichen is secretly, desperately afraidthat, someday, one of the reports they receive of resentful spirits and demoniccultivation will be true, and he will not get his brother back.

Wangji never allows anyone else to investigate thosereports, the ones that claim in half-hysterics to be the Yiling Patriarchreborn, or trapped as a spirit, or the dramatics of the day. He always comes back with flat unfeelingreports of frightened villagers and exaggerations and resentful spirits easilydispatched. And when Xichen gets down tothe bone of it, the living core of his fear for his brother, Xichen is horriblysure that someday, someday, Wangji will come back from one of those nighthunts and say nothing at all and shimmer out of existence at last, a heatmirage under a cold wind.

It isn’t suitable for Zewu-jun, Sect Leader Lan, tohate someone. Xichen thinks about itsometimes during meditation, about how foreign it feels, this hard hot chip ofloathing, and worries at it like a loose tooth, tries to pry it out of place tobe discarded. He can’t manage it.

He hates Wei Wuxian, for what his death has doneto Xichen’s brother.

For standing up when everyone else knelt down, eventhough it cost him everything, life and family and sanity all gone in a merehandful of months.

For what finding his resentful spirit would do tothe last light in Hanguang-jun.

So. He just—hehas to find a way to keep Wangji from following these leads. It isn’t healthy for Wangji, and none of themever have any sign of the man himself anyway, dead or otherwise. Xichen has to find an excuse to send othercultivators after fantasies of the Yiling Patriarch, and that means findingsomething to keep Wangji busy.

Wangji is only himself around Sizhui—a quieter,sadder self, to be sure, but the honest adoring boy that Xichen half-raisednonetheless. Sizhui, while a prodigy, istoo young for night hunting.

The junior disciples are promising and bright, andWangji needs a—a check, for lack of a better word. Something that will force him to speak, tointeract, to think of safety and security rather than only results.

He will not appreciate what Xichen is going to do,but someday, Sizhui will be on night hunts too. This is��this is practice. Maybe then Wangji will brighten again, traveling with the son headores. Maybe then Xichen will be ableto sleep while his brother is gone.

#the untamed #mdzs #lan xichen #lan wangji #the untamed fic #starlight writes stuff #hellooooo friends!!!!!!!#i hear you wanted angst??????#i have angst #my case for the name usage here is lxc calls lwj by courtesy name pretty much exclusively BUT only calls him lan wangji in formal context #otherwise it's just wangji. i assume that he extends this to other people to whom he is close #anyway i did a bunch of research today on name meanings and um #it hurts me that a different 'yuan' is used in 'wen yuan' than in 'lan yuan'#('lan yuan' the character used means like...'to wish' or 'to hope' and also 'sizhui' means 'to remember and long for' so! that's fine!)#i'm writing a fic about that also! actually it's just...lwj's perspective of that eight days #it's ALSO only angst!#but yeah #*sits down with a powerpoint and fifteen pages of conference notes* y'all wanna talk about sizhui growing up hearing inquiry every night?#he worries a LOT about his father after young master mo shows up because suddenly there's no music at night #and like. he understands that playing inquiry over and over again isn't the healthiest coping mechanism in the world.#but the only time he's known his father NOT to play every night is when lwj is hurt or that one day that lxc took his guqin #sizhui is WORRIED until he figures out what's up #a queue we will keep and our honor someday avenge #Anonymous #asked and answered

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somuchnonsense · 4 years

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October Drabbles

Previous drabbles

26. Garden (post-canon Wangxian featuring bunnies)

Wei Wuxian doesn’t have a farm yet, but he does have a garden on the back hill in Cloud Recesses. “Why here?” Lan Wangji asked him when he started planting. “The rabbits will eat everything.”

“I don’t mind if my hard work goes to feeding the rabbits,” Wei Wuxian responded, grinning. “Besides, I’m not here consistently enough to tend to it and harvest things when they’re ready. At least this way, someone will enjoy the fruits—or vegetables, I suppose—of my labor. And maybe then they’ll love me like they love you.”

Lan Wangji smiled, petting one of the rabbits as they both curiously watched Wei Wuxian work. “I’m sure they will.”

It’s debatable, a few months later, whether the rabbits love Wei Wuxian any more than before, but they do love Wei Wuxian’s garden, and Lan Wangji loves watching him kneeling in the dirt, celebrating the first shoots of a new plant or complaining when the rabbits ate one before it even had a chance to grow. He looks so happy, so comfortable, so relaxed, not the fearsome Yiling Laozu or the brilliant cultivator Wei Wuxian with his ever-active mind, but just an ordinary young man, content with his simple life, with no fears and no painful memories weighing on him.

“What’s that look for?” Wei Wuxian asks, eyeing Lan Wangji with a freshly pulled carrot in his hand. There’s dirt on his cheek and a sparkle in his eyes.

Lan Wangji says nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself, but Wei Wuxian smiles like perhaps he knows anyway, and cheerfully turns back to his garden.

27. Serendipity (Wei Wuxian canon gen/character study)

It would be easy to think that Wei Wuxian has bad luck. He lost his parents young, and then the people who took him in when he was alone. He lost his adopted sister, and the people who lived with him like family for a year. He lost his golden core and the trust and respect of his peers, and the love of his adopted brother. He lost his home, and the one he found to replace it. And after all of that, he lost his life too soon.

But if you ask Wei Wuxian, he’ll tell you he’s lucky. He lost his parents, but then he was taken in by a new family. Sure, they weren’t perfect, but they saved him from a lonely life on the streets and they loved him, mostly. He lost them too, though not all at once, but then he had the Wens to care about him. That didn’t last, but he got Wen Ning and Sizhui back, at least, and he has the other junior disciples who are ready to fight for him, and Lan Wangji, of course. As much as he’s lost, he’s also been loved by many people, and isn’t that lucky?

As for the rest, well, the loss of his golden core was a fair trade for Jiang Cheng’s life, and it led him to abilities that helped avenge the Jiang Sect and defeat Wen Ruohan and later Jin Guangyao. He’s not the strong cultivator he was as a teenager, but he’s found new ways to be strong and fight the battles he needs to fight. He’s also blazed a new path and invented new things and made a name for himself, in his own way. Isn’t that lucky?

And yes, he died once, painfully, but that’s over and done with and he got a second chance at life. In his second life, he’s fallen in love, made new friends, done some good in the world, and at least done a little to make up for his past mistakes. So few people get a chance like that, including many who are much more deserving than him, so in the final sum, isn’t he lucky?

28. Drunk Confessions (junior quartet gen)

It started with a few bottles of wine and Zizhen declaring that true friends share their secrets with each other, but nobody could have imagined that it would end like this.

"You're what?" Jin Ling asks, his voice low and strained.

"You're what?!" Jingyi echoes in a loud squawk.

"I'm a Wen," Sizhui repeats, his nervous expression belying his calm voice.

"You never told me!" Jingyi's voice is still far too loud, his expression almost comically betrayed. "How could I not know that?"

"You knew Hanguang-Jun took me in," Sizhui points out.

"Yes, but I thought your parents were Lan cultivators who died back then, or at least non-cultivators from Gusu. Not...Wens." Jingyi grimaces, but wipes the expression of his face when he sees Sizhui's face fall.

“Sizhui is still the same person, right?" Zizhen puts in. "And we know Wen Ning's a nice guy. It's not like all Wens are bad."

"Right," Jingyi firmly agrees. "But I can't believe you didn’t tell me sooner!”

"I didn't know until recently. After meeting Wei-qianbei and Wen Ning, some memories came back." Sizhui finishes the drink in front of him, getting some liquid courage before he looks at the conspicuously silent Jin Ling. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I hope this doesn't change anything between us."

Jin Ling clenches his fist on the table, brow furrowed, and for a long, tense moment, the whole group is silent. Finally, he sighs exasperatedly and says, "Well, it's far from the worst secret I've heard about someone I knew. Do you two at least not have any dark secrets?" He waves his cup and Jingyi and Zizhen.

"None, I promise," Zizhen declares.

"If I do, I don't know them myself," Jingyi says.

"I've met his parents," Sizhui interjects. "They're nice, normal Lan cultivators for several generations back."

"Good," Jin Ling says. To Sizhui, he adds, "For this, you can at least buy us another bottle or two of wine."

Sizhui smiles brightly, getting to his feet. "Right away."

29. Cars (modern AU Wangxian featuring the Jiang sibs)

Jiang Cheng says Wei Ying drives like a maniac. Wei Ying says Jiang Cheng is a wimp and also boring and besides, he doesn’t go any faster than he can safely drive, but he does always slow down when he sees Jiang Cheng’s knuckles turning white.

“You’d better drive more carefully on your date with Lan Zhan,” Jiang Cheng tells him. “He probably drives perfectly the speed limit and obeys every traffic law to the letter. He won’t be able to deal with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Wei Ying insists. “And it’s not a date!”

“Just don’t rush,” Yanli says. “You’ll have more time with Lan Zhan that way. And I’m pretty sure it is a date.”

“Not you too,” Wei Ying whines.

Later, though, when he picks Lan Zhan up and sees him looking very dashing even though he’s in what passes for casual clothes with him, Wei Ying has to admit that okay, yes, he wants it to be a date, and sure, okay, he wants to impress Lan Zhan, or at least not scare him away by driving too wildly. He forces himself to go only a little above the speed limit as he drives to the cafe where they’re going to study together, and Lan Zhan doesn’t complain or grab the panic handle like Jiang Cheng does.

On the way home, though, after endless hours of Lan Zhan sitting across from him looking casually hot but looking at his textbook or talking about economics instead of kissing Wei Ying, he forgets himself and drives as usual. Lan Zhan doesn’t say anything, so Wei Ying doesn’t realize what he’s doing until he stops in front of Lan Zhan’s building and sees him looking suspiciously paler than usual, his hand still gripping the door handle. “Oh, uh, Lan Zhan…you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lan Zhan says tightly.

“Say, um…” Wei Ying feels bad and all, but he’s spent hours not kissing Lan Zhan and wishing this was a date and he just has to know if maybe it was, or at least could be. He unbuckles his seatbelt, turns in his seat and presses his lips to Lan Zhan’s. He’s not expecting to promptly get pulled into Lan Zhan’s lap, but he’s definitely not complaining, especially when it’s followed up with a whole lot more kissing.

They only stop when someone honks and Wei Ying realizes he didn’t pick the best parking spot for making out. “So,” he says, grinning shamelessly as he moves back into the driver’s seat, “let’s go out on another date some time soon?”

“All right,” Lan Zhan agrees without hesitation. He’s not smiling, but he is eyeing Wei Ying in a way that he really likes. “But next time, I’ll drive.”

30. Dessert (modern AU Wangxian, just a tiny bit NSFW)

The first time Wei Ying sees Lan Zhan in a cafe daintily eating whipped cream off the top of a parfait, he can’t believe his eyes. There’s something so unexpected about strong, serious, stoic, ever-responsible Lan Zhan enjoying any kind of dessert, let alone the same kind Wei Ying’s sister and her friends love—unexpected and adorable.

“Wow, Lan Zhan! I had you pegged for the health food 24/7 type,” Wei Ying says, sneaking up on him from behind. He’s obviously trying to surprise Lan Zhan, but he doesn’t expect it to actually work, so he’s thrilled when it makes Lan Zhan jump and then turn a glare on him. “Hey, no judgment. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying something sweet.” The temptation to stick his finger in the whipped cream and dab some onto Lan Zhan’s nose is so strong, but Wei Ying doesn’t want to die today, so he restrains himself.

It takes nearly a year after that encounter for them to start dating, though Wei Ying does manage to put whipped cream on Lan Zhan’s face twice before that. (Maybe he should have guessed that Lan Zhan liked him, despite never mentioning it, by how he didn’t murder Wei Ying for doing that.) It takes another five months after they get together for Wei Ying to convince Lan Zhan that whipped cream will also be delicious when licked off his body, but oh, is it worth it.

31. Trick or Treat (modern cultivation AU, A-Yuan and Wangxian)

“I want to go as Uncle Wen!” A-Yuan declares. Wei Wuxian blinks at him, turns and blinks at Lan Wangji, and then starts to laugh. “I mean, I think a ghost or a vampire or a cat or something is more typical, but sure, you can go as a fierce corpse.” “Not a fierce corpse!” A-Yuan protests. “Uncle Wen!” Lan Wangji gives Wei Wuxian his patented You are not treating this child as he should be treated look. “Yes, of course,” Wei Wuxian amends. “We’ll find you the best Wen Ning costume anyone has ever had.” “Can Uncle Wen come with me?” A-Yuan asks. Wen Ning won’t do well with crowds or a sugar high A-Yuan, but on the other hand, he’ll blend in on Halloween in a way he usually can’t. “We’ll all come with you,” Lan Wangji tells him. “Yay!” A-Yuan jumps up and down in excitement. “What will you be? Ooh, I know! You should be a bunny.” He gestures at Lan Wangji, and then to Wei Wuxian, “And you should be a carrot.” “A carrot?” Wei Wuxian grimaces. “Come on, between the two of us, don’t I look more like a bunny?” “At least he didn’t say a donkey.” Lan Wangji keeps his voice low, and before A-Yuan can demand that he repeat it, says, “Those are excellent choices.” “You’re so mean to me,” Wei Wuxian whines, but that doesn’t stop him from going out on Halloween evening in a big carrot costume, hand in hand with rabbit Lan Wangji, with mini Wen Ning skipping on ahead of them and actual Wen Ning looking fondly on.

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #cql #the untamed #mdzs fic #cql fanfic #the untamed fic #wangxian #wangxian fic #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan sizhui #jin ling #lan jingyi #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #mine #fic #flufftober

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aboardthekobayashimaru · 4 years

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The Peculiar Child-Rearing Skills of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji

I know how a parent raises a child is a very sensitive issue and there should be no judging. There is probably no right way. But for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, their style is certainly... ugh peculiar.

EDIT: Someone asked me to add a SPOILER ALERT. Which is totally fair so apologies. But how can anyone not finish all 50 episodes of CQL in one sitting I can’t fathom. But yes there is a bit of a spoiler so caution!

WWX’s Turnip Style: Telling Ah-Yuan (Lan SiZhui’s name as a child) that he’s going to plant the child in the field like a turnip and grow more turnips as brothers and sisters was probably one of the sweetest fatherhood moments, but also a foreshadowing of Ah-Yuan’s future. WWX has a habit of calling Lan Wangji a “big white cabbage” (i.e. a pristine, white, vegetable - very appropriate for the Lan Clan. Very consistent with their diet as well.). No wonder Ah-Yuan grows up to become a “big white turnip” of the Lan Clan.

LWJ’s Rabbit Style: I don’t recall if this was explicitly explained in the TV drama but, according to the book, LWJ took Ah-Yuan home and basically just placed him with the nest of rabbits. When he feeds the rabbits every day, he feeds Ah-Yuan. So Ah-Yuan was effectively raised by Lan Zhan as a rabbit.

How on earth these two guys raised such a wonderful child as Lan Sizhui we may never know. Maybe there is some genius to their styles.

Finally just a quick note on Sizhui’s name. When Ah-Yuan was adopted by the Lan Clan, his given name became Lan Yuan (蓝愿), this “yuan” is pronounced the same as his old name but is a different character meaning hope, wish, and desire. It represents an embodiment of LWJ’s hope for WWX’s return.

When Lan Yuan got a bit older, per custom, he was given a second name to be used by peers: Lan Sizhui (蓝思追). 思追, or Sizhui, is short for “ 思君不可追，念君何时归 “ - Longing for the gentleman but cannot pursue; Yearning for the gentleman when will you return. Basically Lan Wangji’s motto for the 16 years he waited for Wei Wuxian.

#陈情令 #蓝思追 #蓝忘机 #蓝湛 #魏婴 #魏无羡 #思君不可追念君何时归 #the untamed #lan sizhui #lan wangji #lan zhan #wei wuxian #wei ying #mdzs #魔道祖师 #wangxian #cql #tagging my own musings so i can find them later

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dreamingsushi · 5 years

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The Untamed - Episode 50 Final Episode

Here it is. The final episode. I am so not ready to say goodbye. Ever. I don’t want this to end. This has to be the best drama I ever watched. I went through a roller coaster of emotions during those past 49 episodes and I am so thankful for all the production team and all the cast for their amazing job. I enjoyed myself every step of the way, even when I cried so much that my eyes were swollen for days. Thank you and I am happy that I ever started watching, thankful that I passed through episode one because I was so unsure if I should keep on watching. Here’s to the last 40 minutes of my greatest joy for the past month.

Xichen reminds him that he wouldn’t be merciful if Jing Guangyao made the single movement, but then he asks, did he even move? Honestly, how could he move in the state he is in? But it’s best that he dies because anyways, what life does he have left? He’s better to start over and let’s pray he has a better father even though he did so much evil in this life. Maybe his karma will be balanced between his sufferings and his evil deeds? I hope so. Not because I like him, but because at the beginning, we should all stand a chance.

So Jin Guangyao guessed that Nie Huaisang was the person behind his downfall. But nobody would believe that Nie Huaisang lied. Then Jin Guangyao stands up and Xichen swords penetrates further in his body. He tells him that he did all the possible evils on Earth, but he never wanted, never even thought of hurting Lan Xichen. How long is it going to take before he dies? His body is really stronger than it looks. And then they just look, actually, like lovers that never could confess to each other.

Oh god. That guy is a creep. He goes all the way backwards to Nie Mingjue’s tomb and the bloods dripping on him wakes him up. No way. The building is about to fall apart. Then Jin Guangyao asks him if he will accompany him in death, and it looks like Xchen was going to, but then Jin Guangyao pushes him away and stays inside by himself. Nie Mingjue didn’t come out in the end. Ouf. Safe.

Poor Jin Ling. His uncle died. He must be torn apart. Ever since he was small Jin Guangyao took care of him, but then again he was the one that killed his parents. Lan Xichen is so heartbroken. Then Huaisang says something so smart which is “nobody can completely understand a person”. And Xichen asks him if he really saw Jin Guangyao trying to hurt him. Huaisang keeps on saying he has seen it, but since he asks so much, he can’t be sure anymore and says he doesn’t know. Pretty good at acting like a fool that Huaisang.

Wei Ying doesn’t have any scars. Great, his soul won’t be completely destroyed.

All the small disciples come in. Jin Ling takes Xianzi out so Wei Ying won’t be scared but when he comes in again, he’s already gone. Jiang Cheng tells him not to try to chase for them, then Jin Ling blames him for their departure, saying it’s because of his character that they left. Moreover, didn’t he have something to say to Wei Ying? There’s a flashback from right after they left Lianhua Wu and that Shijie is sick. Wei Ying went to buy medicine for Yanli and when Jiang Cheng come out, he sees Wen soldiers about to get Wei Ying so Jiang Cheng actually acted as a bait to save Wei Ying. Those two. Really. I’m crying again. Gosh. My Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying TT

Lan Zhan tells he has something to tell him, but as he’s about to say it, Sizhui and Wen Ning just get there. No love confession ): Okay, it wasn’t probably that, most likely he wanted to tell him about Ah Yuan, but with that being said, it could have been. It’s just funny how so many times it’s hinted but never said.

So Sizhui has something very important to ask Wei Ying. He remembered about Wei Ying planting him so he would get bigger and grow some friends, how he wanted to invite Lan Zhan for a meal but couldn’t pay because they had to run away. He doesn’t remember everything, but he’s sure he used to be a Wen. AH YUUUUUUUAN. I don’t know, is it just me? Am I the only one crying now? Wei Ying missed his little boy so much and he was right by his side. And from the beginning Wei Ying liked Sizhui. It’s... I am sorry, I am sobbing right now. Wei Ying is so happy to find him back.

Yup, that’s the one thing Lan Zhan never told Wei Ying. Then Wei Ying and Ah Yuan hugs, both crying. They missed each other so much.

And that moment when Wei Ying says “no wonder it’s a child raised by Lan Zhan” and then Lan Zhan “it’s also the child you raised”. Meaning “it’s our child”. So cute. I’m so happy. That’s so sad, but so beautiful at the same time. Oh no I was wrong. The most beautiful moment is when Sizhui grabs Wei Ying’s leg, like when he was a child. And then Lan Zhan and Wei Ying look at each other and it’s just so beautiful.

Wen Ning and Ah Yuan are going back for a while to Qishan, then he will send Ah Yuan back to Yunshen buzhichu, start living for himself. Finally. I am so glad for Wen Ning. He deserves that.

What? There are not staying together? Lan Zhan and Wei ying? Oh. The relief. Wei Ying stayed with Lan Zhan. They stay together at yunshen buzhichu. Or maybe not, but I don’t care. I decided that’s how it is. For the drama. They look happy, I’m happy, it’s well deserved. Ok he’s not staying, why should they part... This is so annoying. It should have stopped when they play music together. Why are they doing this. Well at least he plans on meeting again, someday.

OK WHAT IS THIS ENDING? I DON’T GET IT. Did they meet again like a long time after? Or is the same day? I. WAIT WHAT?

I don’t care. This was the most beautiful ending. I cried a lot. Way too much. I am already missing this drama and it just ended. For me I mean. Like one minute ago. I am going to watch it all over again. Never ever enough. I loved everything. Even the characters I hate. Like I hate Jin Guangyao. But he was perfect. Just. The whole thing. The music. The cast. No I just wish that my name was Wei Ying so it could be my phone ring for texts message. Maybe I will do it anyways and have Lan Zhan call Wei Ying whenever somebody writes to me. It’s to that point. And I am going to have my OST album this week. Finally. I could cry of happiness. Next month’s bullet journal is all going to be Chen Qing Ling theme. I have to keep it going on. I can’t just leave it like this.

Thank you for those that took the time to read my posts throughout my journey while watching this show. I am forever grateful for your time. I will probably keep posting a little while longer Chen Qing Ling related stuff, like character wise and just a big big recommendation post for people to watch it. Until next time!

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linxuelian · 4 years

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The various MDZS fans // Under The Magnifying Glass

Alright, fans! As a fellow fan, I know you’re out there - I’ve lurked, I’ve chatted with, and I’ve disturbed a great many of you. Now I’m going to treat you like a specimen, and you can’t escape!

I’ve compiled a short meta piece about the various fans in the MDZS fandom, one that should be taken, once again, with a grain of salt. You know I love all of you, but here’s a sprinkle of, “I see you, I’m calling you out”. 😉

This is by no way accurate, obviously, but I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Wei Ying fans are shameless

And they tend to be more open in the real world than most other fans in comparison. Cheerful and belligerent, these fans are the ones who’ll loudly push their agenda and rope you into the slippery, slippery rabbit hole of the MDZS fandom, shouting about how “LAN ZHAN IS THE MOST WONDERFUL BOYFRIEND.”

You’d look into what a Lan Zhan is, and fall into the trap of Xianxia hell, unable to claw your way out of it until you’ve completed at least forty different works, either in paint or in letter. This is when they’ll cackle and attempt to figure out what your AO3 username is.

When dealing with Wei Ying fans in the real world, consider employing a milder approach. Do not allow them influence you into making more explicit fanfiction than you probably should, if you can. Apply caution in public, for they can be extremely boisterous in their sharing of many overly-stimulating pictures with your friends who may not know or want to know what WangXian is about.

Lan Wangji fans

Are Wei Ying fans. No person who can directly relate to Lan Wangji would read a BL light novel like that.

Or they do, but you just don’t know it.

Lan Xichen fans

Secretly want to sleep with him.

Jin Guangyao fans are social animals

When they’re not sobbing over their coveted redemption arcs for their favorite character, or coming up with excuses reasons for his misconduct, that is.

Small gatherings are likely to be favored by fans who relate to Jin Guangyao, enjoying parties and the like that are quiet and easy to mingle in. It is either this, or they enjoy in-depth online discussions, mostly involving intrigue and character building or thesis, and spend much time on social media networks.

More than half the time, people in the real world don’t even know that Jin Guangyao fans read fanfiction, look at fanart, or create them. At least 80 to 90 percent of Jin Guangyao fans would have read the novel, since they are more or less discourse and/or research-driven.

Just like the two-faced Jin Guangyao, many fans of his hide their true nature very well, appearing in public as general mass-media consumers. However, upon further engagement, they may reveal themselves to the possible Er-ge’s in their lives.

Jiang Cheng fans are mama dragons

Whatever you do, don’t make them angry.

This doesn’t mean that they’re not sympathetic, however. It’s just that their quick tempers and fiery typing skills can break your e-legs. Whether it’s a disagreement about a pairing, or about an interpretation, they’ll want to come up on top and victorious.

On the flip side, if a Jiang Cheng fan favors you and you’ve gotten into a spot of trouble, they’ll be out there on a war path trying to find out who bullied you in an attempt break the perpetrator’s legs. Using their keyboard typing skills, of course.

Lan Sizhui fans are anxious helicopter parents

Generally wishing to keep their little baby A-Yuan safe and happy, Lan Sizhui fans are mostly mama bear types. If a piece features even a miniscule part about Lan Sizhui, say, falling down in the mud or getting told off in an argument, be sure to receive comments almost entirely about said scene, even though it may only be a minor part of an entire 10,000-word story.

Stories and art revolving around Lan Sizhui put out by his fans are most likely to include either carrots, rabbits, radishes, Uncle Ning, or the WangXian parents. Similar to Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui fans tend to be fans of Wei Ying or WangXian.

A smaller subset of Lan Sizhui fans are fans of Jin Ling, but mostly in context of Lan Sizhui being the only one courteous enough to be polite towards him.

Jin Ling fans are split between two types

Namely those who’ve always dreamed of being a little prince/princess, and those who relate to Jiang Cheng or Wei Wuxian.

More than half of Jin Ling’s fans are fans of his uncle Jiang and Wei, and may relate to them in terms of being a parental figure, looking over their emotionally injured baby prince. Wei Wuxian fans are louder when it comes to demanding for a happy ending for Jin Ling, while Jiang Cheng fans may explicitly include him in every piece of fanfiction or fanart they’ve ever created.

Whether Wei Wuxian has started a family with Lan Wangji, or Jiang Cheng has gotten married to Lan Xichen or Nie Huaisang, you can be sure that any intersecting Jin Ling fans would have included him in their grand scheme of adoption, or eventually have him married to their only-begotten son.

The ones who’ve always dreamed of being a little prince or princess? They have very few friends in real life, and may have just written an article about you since they had the free time, for having no one to socialize with.

Ouyang Zizhen fans don’t like to be left out

He’s part of the quartet, dammit! It’s not a trio! Be it to your face in real life or over the internet, Zizhen fans would be sure to remind you that he’s part and parcel of the junior unit.

Usually also helicopter parents of the Sizhui Fan variety, Ouyang Zizhen fans desire him to find romance and inherit the sect safely, and may prefer pieces that depict him as intelligent, resourceful and the leader or champion of the junior QUARTET.

Lan Jingyi fans

Are the worst. 😤🖐️

Wen Ning fans are elusive

Likely because they don’t want to be the reason to split the canon couple up. Most Wen Ning fans may or may not prefer stories where Wen Ning pines for the extremely unavailable Wei Wuxian, or ones where he is seen as an uncle figure to Lan Sizhui. In some stories and artworks, Lan Wangji simply does not exist.

Wen Ning fans may also be periphery Lan Sizhui fans.

Wen Qing fans suffer from Aerith Lives Syndrome

She doesn’t actually die in a fire, guys!

They may also enjoy Wen Qing-marries-Nie Mingjue/Jiang Cheng-and-gets-pregnant stories.

Nie Huaisang fans like his nefarious, scheming nature

Have a piece depicting Nie Huaisang as a head-shaking idiot? There’s a fat chance that his fans won’t enjoy it, even if they won’t explicitly grill you for it. Hiding behind their virtual fans, watching you persistently every day while coldly plotting the closure of your account, these fans in particular are more inclined towards the unfolding of his crafty, terrifying nature, revealed only in the end.

Nie Huaisang fans tend to favor articles revolving around Nie Mingjue as well, and greatly enjoy pieces depicting brotherly affection in general. Whenever they write Nie Mingjue in their fiction, he is either extremely doting, or gruff but sexy.

As one might find it hard to question the gruff but sexy bit with a straight face, another alternative victim of fiction writers centering works around Nie Huaisang would be Jiang Cheng, who is usually manipulated into a happily ever after.

Nie Mingjue fans like putting him in leather pants

In most works created by fans of the mighty Chifeng-Zun, he’s usually smiling dotingly at his younger brother, Nie Huaisang, or at Meng Yao, his trusted aide, or at least giving them the best things in life.

In Mingjue County, Nie Mingjue has never kicked anyone down the stairs nor called them a son of a prostitute. In Mingjue County, nobody has ever burnt fine art. In Mingjue County, nobody dies of Qi Deviation. Mingjue County is civil, beautiful, and full of abs.

Wen Ruohan fans think he’s cute and sexy

Well, he is in their fannish pre-canon depictions of him as a young man, anyway. If Lan Qiren has grown his beard out for anyone, it would have been for the adorable Wen Ruohan, fifty years ago in the Cloud Recesses.

Lan Qiren fans don’t think he’s a joke

Never mind that the novel jokes about him all the time - having his beard shaved by Cangse Sanren, ignored by the juniors, and above all, getting up just to spit out blood after getting mad at Wei Wuxian for playing his flute very, very badly - he’s no joke, everyone!

Many Lan Qiren fans may also express desire to see his character adapt and open up to new ideas and rulesets, including a relationship with Sisi, or to explore a possible past where he is young, handsome and sexy, most probably also romantically entwined with Wen Ruohan.

Sect Leader Yao fans are SJWs who don’t know they’re SJWs

The irony lies thick in the fact that they actively dislike Sect Leader Yao as a character. Nobody knows that they’re actually a Sect Leader Yao fan, even after contracting the disease themselves.

Aaaaaand, I’ve run out of gas. If I’ve missed describing the fans of your favorite character, consider yourself lucky~

For now. I’ll be back! 😒✊

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #fandom meta #wei wuxian #wangxian #characters #fandom #random observation

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yilingradishfairy · 5 years

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Chasing Chaos (2631 words) by SakuraKage Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Lán Jǐngyí Summary:

This fic is about Wei Wuxian, Bringer of Chaos, and Lan Wangji, Chaser of Chaos. Or two times Wei Wuxian unintentionally calls the Chief Cultivator to his aid, and one time he did it intentionally. (Also, a Birthday Surprise for Lan Zhan ^_^)

Written for Wangji Week 2020

Day 4 – Wherever the Chaos Is

So, I recently learned what a 5+1 fic is! This … is not that. Well, I guess it is, if you squint at it and also you’re bad at math. But hey! Two plus one equals three which is always better than none, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It’s a little confused, but it’s got the spirit lol

The first time that Chief Cultivator Lan heard that Wei Wuxian was stirring up trouble, he set off immediately to lend assistance. To which party, his Council was not privy to, but they could guess. “Wei Ying?” “Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying’s head popped out from the dirt mound, his hair tangled and clothes in disarray. Lan Wangji noted the way his eyes lit up upon recognizing his beloved and hoped that Wei Ying could recognize the same elation in him. Three months had truly been too long. Wei Ying led him behind the dirt pile, calling out, “Hang on, Lan Zhan! I’m almost done with this!” Lan Wangji watched patiently, interpreting each of the talismans that Wei Ying was arranging. The seal array was intricate, but not demonic in nature. As usual, the rumors appeared to be much nastier than the truth. Finally, Wei Ying fully emerged from the dirt heap and bounded over to Lan Wangji. “So, what is the illustrious Hanguang Jun doing in a place like this? Shouldn’t you be busy doing Chief Cultivator stuff?” “Am doing,” Lan Wangji agreed with a curt nod. “Investigating.” “Investigating what?” Wei Ying asked, leaning forward to bump his shoulder against his beloved’s. Lan Wangji looked down in surprise at where their shoulders had touched, amazed at the wave of longing that passed through him. How he missed the easy touching that Wei Ying always instigated. But his beloved must have misinterpreted the look, because he hastily pulled back, apologizing, “Sorry, Lan Zhan, I’m a mess right now.” He patted his clothes down and pushed his hair messily behind his shoulder, as if that would help. Lan Wangji felt his lips twitch into a fond half-smile, and he reached out to tug the twisted hair ribbon out of his beloved’s unruly hair. “Ridiculous,” he judged, as Wei Ying willingly turned around at Lan Wangji’s silent request. Wei Ying barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess I look pretty ridiculous.” He waved his arms around to encompass his disheveled form, from the ripped clothing to the layer of mud to the hair he was currently fixing. “No,” Lan Wangji clarified, carefully tugging the hair into his favored style. “Your words are ridiculous.” “My words?” he questioned. He tilted his head, unmindful of the ponytail Lan Wangji was trying to tame his hair into. “Wei Ying is always a mess,” he replied simply. “Ahahahaha!” Wei Ying doubled over in laughter, pulling away from the knot Lan Wangji had just finished tying his hair ribbon into. “Lan-er-gege has developed a sense of humor in the months I’ve been away. How unfair that I have missed it!” “Mn,” Lan Wangji murmured, ignoring the flush he could feel crawling up his ears. “I guess Chief Cultivator Lan needs it, having to deal with those old windbags all day!” Wei Ying straightened, and Lan Wangji’s eyes were drawn to the ponytail that was still defiantly askew. “Speaking of, I can’t believe your Council lets the Chief Cultivator come out to random night hunts, all alone and unprotected. Surely the cultivating world wouldn’t survive a day without you to lead it,” Wei Ying grinned impishly. “Can survive,” Lan Wangji assured him. “Needed to verify rumors about Wei Ying.” "So you dropped everything and traveled all this way for this small matter." Wei Ying shook his head. “So this is what they meant about chasing the chaos,” he muttered under his breath. "How did you hear about this?" "Lan Sizhui's report," Lan Wangji answered. "Oh, right. The Zhangs' servant probably…" Wei Ying trailed off, the gears in his mind turning rapidly in a way that had always uniquely enchanted Lan Wangji. "The whole thing got blown up out of proportion, anyway. You see, Lan Zhan, the daughter had run away, and the cousin got in a bit of a bad spot with a demonic cultivator, who somehow ended up finding…" Wei Ying rambled, detailing the convoluted Zhang family drama as he led Lan Wangji back to the Zhang Manor. After checking with the family and verifying that everything was taken care of, Lan Wangji asked where Wei Ying was headed to next. He hurriedly shook his head, assuring him, "Oh, Hanguang Jun doesn't have to worry about me! Your Wei Ying is safe and happy, traveling the world." Not as happy as I would be with you, goes unsaid, but they both understood. Lan Wangji disputed, “Always have to check on Wei Ying.” Wei Ying shook his head again and reiterated, “Lan Zhan, really, you don't have to trouble yourself anymore. You're the Chief Cultivator! You can't just hop Bichen for every far-flung rumor!" He playfully admonished. "Bichen is fast." Wei Ying just laughed sadly. "I know. Still, you have people for that! You need to go rest or attend to your thousands of duties or whatever you need to do. Don't you worry about me.” Lan Wangji stared into his earnest face. He hardly wanted to walk away from him after seeing him again for the first time in three months … but it looks like the Zhangs’ issues have been resolved, and he should probably head home to his piles of work. “Wei Ying is certain?” “Yeah,” Wei Ying smiled sadly. “Chief Cultivator is a big responsibility. Everyone else needs you more than I do.”

---

The second time that Chief Cultivator Lan heard that the upstart Yiling Laozu was back at it again, he absently wondered if it was intentional. After all, night hunting is the only activity during which he, as Chief Cultivator, can come down from the Council and mingle with the common people. And it's the only activity during which he and Wei Ying get to see each other. His Council did not particularly care if the Yiling Laozu was baiting him or not, but they were certainly sending along chaperones bodyguards from now on. Even if the only volunteers they could get this time were Hanguang Jun’s own son and his best friend. "Wei-qianbei!" Lan Wangji watched his son jump up in the middle of their meal to rush through the crowded inn and greet Wei Ying. Lan Jingyi raced after his best friend, and Lan Wangji began rearranging the food on the table for a fourth person. “A-Yuan! Lan Jingyi! What are you two doing here?” he heard his beloved ask them. “Are yo- Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying finally spotted Lan Wangji at the corner table. Time seemed to slow down as they drank in the sight of each other. Wei Ying recovered his speech almost immediately though. "Oh, Lan Zhan, it's so good to see you out and about again! How did the busy Chief Cultivator get out of his duties this time?" He teased, rushing over to sit by him. "Looks like the Elders wisened up and sent along some fierce bodyguards to protect you. Not that the mighty Hanguang Jun needs protecting." "Mn," Lan Wangji agreed absently, busily fixing Wei Ying a cup of tea. "Did not like my being alone last time." "So now you've got help," Wei Ying accepted his tea with a smile before turning to appraise the juniors curiously. "What are they helping you with?" "Ah, we're chasing the chaos, Wei-qianbei!" Lan Sizhui happily announced, sitting next to Wei Ying. "And it looks like you're the chaos!" "Who, me?" Wei Ying widened his eyes comically and set down his tea cup in mock affront. "Why, that doesn't sound anything like me! I haven't caused any chaos in a whole day!" Lan Wangji raised a single eyebrow. "Oi, don't be like that, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying pouted, bumping his shoulder into his. "Lan-er-gege is too cruel. Has the esteemed Hanguang Jun really come all this way to hunt down the wicked Yiling Laozu?" He teased, the words spilling out in an effusive rush. Lan Wangji wondered how he had gotten used to not hearing his name a thousand different times, a thousand different ways all in one breath. He absently wished he could always hear himself being called thus by Wei Ying. Lan Sizhui hid an amused smile behind his sleeve, but Lan Jingyi pressed forward. "So it really was you? You have been harvesting souls and forcing them to wreak havoc here?" "That was most definitely not me!” protested Wei Ying indignantly. “That’s my brainless copycat." Wei Ying scowled. "I caught him this morning. Jerk. He’s been parading around as the Yiling Patriarch and sullying my good name." “What good name?” Lan Jingyi asked dubiously. “Ah, why are you so mean! Don’t be so blunt!” Wei Ying leaned away from Lan Jingyi and turned beseeching eyes on Lan Wangji. “Lan Zhan, defend me!” “No talking while eating,” Lan Wangji dutifully responded, pushing some food toward his beloved. However, Lan Sizhui, who had already finished eating, was able to ask, “Wei-qianbei? Did you say you caught him already?" Wei Ying nodded seriously and motioned toward the stables. “He’s out there with Little Apple.” "Should we take him back to Gusu now?" Lan Jingyi asked reluctantly, looking toward Lan Wangji. "Ah, if you have to go quickly, I can go fetch him right now,” Wei Ying set the food back on the table and began to stand. "You must be so busy…" Lan Wangji reflexively grabbed his hand to stop him from getting up. "Not busy," he refuted. He motioned toward the untouched food with his other hand. "Eat." "It's really no trouble," Wei Ying protested weakly, but he settled back into his seat. The hand that was caught under Lan Wangji's turned in its grasp to squeeze back. "No talking while eating," Lan Wangji repeated, heaping food onto Lan Sizhui's empty plate and pushing it toward Wei Ying.

---

The third time that Chief Cultivator Lan heard that Wei Ying was making mischief, he left without notifying his Council. They have been exceptionally needy lately. They disapproved whenever he left for a nighthunt, even the ones that were not related to the Yiling Laozu. They didn't seem to understand that he always offered his help unequivocally, and he liked to be present for the particularly tricky nighthunts. But he did take particular care to always be on hand for matters relating to Wei Ying. “Lan Zhan.” Lan Wangji turned around to see Wei Ying walking up behind him on the busy street. He granted him a beatific smile, and Lan Wangji could not keep delight from turning up the corners of his mouth. “I knew you would come for me.” “What is the danger?” Lan Wangji asked, scanning him for signs of distress. “Always straight to the point,” Wei Ying laughed. “Don’t worry; there’s no danger today!” Lan Wangji furrowed his brow. “The reports…” “Ahaha, you can’t believe everything that you read, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying admonished playfully. “Those reports may have been a teensy bit exaggerated,” he admitted. “I swear to you, I pose no danger to anyone here.” Lan Wangji considered him pensively. “And Wei Ying is not in danger?” he confirmed. Wei Ying nodded earnestly, pledging, “I am neither in danger nor a danger to others. You, however, are.” “Me,” Lan Wangji repeated dumbly. “Yes, you. Look at yourself,” Wei Ying chided. “You need to take proper care of yourself! That must be one of your three thousand and some rules, right? If it isn’t, it surely needs to be. You’re not getting nearly enough rest! What happened to the strict nine-to-five? When was the last time you took a break?” “A break?” Lan Wangji echoed, still surprised by the turn of events. “Oh, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” He sighed, turning serious. He reached out to graze the dark circles under his eyes. “You look so tired. What is it like? To carry the whole world on your shoulders.” Lan Wangji instinctively leaned into his beloved’s touch, and he reached up to grasp the hand that so gently stroked his face. Wei Ying unthinkingly tangled their fingers together and continued on. “I have it on good authority that you’ve been unreasonably busy recently. What is your Council thinking? How can they expect yo-” Wei Ying rambled on, inadvertently riling himself up with each successive thought. “Authority? Who?” Lan Wangji interjected, latching onto the possible security breach. He tried not to feel flattered about the implication that Wei Ying cared enough to place an informant to update him about Lan Wangji, but a potential spy in the Cloud Recesses cannot be tolerated. “Ah, he asked for you to not be mad at him,” Wei Ying prefaced. “But I told him since he just wants to take care of you, you couldn’t possibly get mad at him.” “Lan Sizhui,” Lan Wangji realized. “He ran into you during a night hunt.” “He’s been so worried about you,” Wei Ying admitted, smiling fondly. “You raised such a good son. A-Yuan told me about the birthday treat he was trying to arrange for you, but …” “Your son, too,” Lan Wangji interrupted. His caring heart, he doesn’t say, is yours. Wei Ying grins, “Yeah. Our son.” “But why?” Lan Wangji pointedly glanced around the street and at the space between them. Why are you here? He doesn’t say. Why am I here? “I know we agreed to part ways for the moment, so you could take care of your duties as Chief Cultivator,” Wei Ying began hesitantly. “But I couldn’t watch you work yourself into the ground.” He looked up stubbornly. “The Council asks too much of you, too much for any human to handle. They couldn’t spare you even a day to celebrate your birthday.” “So you orchestrated … this?” Lan Wangji repeated, dumbfounded. “Well, if there’s no other way to get you to take a break, I had to improvise,” Wei Ying grinned impishly. “I’m rather good at that.” He handed him a hand drawn map. “This leads to a little abandoned farm house. I’ve been repairing it off and on, but I want you to use it for the day.” Lan Wangji took the map, still silently waiting for him to continue. “Take the day off. For your birthday. No clan, no council, no cultivation world. Just a relaxing retreat,” Wei Ying explained. “Surely the world can spare you… for one day. For this day.” He smiled hopefully up at his beloved.

Lan Wangji was just about to nod, to give in and accept this thoughtful birthday gift, when Wei Ying started to walk away. “Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asked in bewilderment. Why would he craft the most elaborate plan to get them alone together and then walk away? Wei Ying paused, turning back to him. “Will you not stay?” Wei Ying gave a slight laugh. “Only if Lan Zhan wants me to.” He fidgeted and looked away. “I know I’m not really relaxing…” “Stay.” He interrupted forcefully. “Please.” Lan Wangji stared intently into his beloved’s eyes, hoping his own beseeching eyes would communicate what his words could not. “Oh, Lan Zhan.” He nodded in understanding and smiled blissfully, crinkling his eyes at the corners. “Okay, Wei Ying will stay with you, but you have to rest. Do you hear me?” he ordered playfully. “This is a restful birthday retreat, and I want nothing but resting from you.” Lan Wangji felt his mouth twitch into an answering smile at the sight of stern and protective Wei Ying. He knew that tomorrow he would have to return to Gusu and give account to the Council. He knew he probably would not see Wei Ying again until the next time he caused some chaos (or conveniently happened to be there anyway). But this day, this perfect day, was a birthday gift he would treasure until the time he can lay down his Chief Cultivator title. Then, maybe, everyday will be like this. The first time that Chief Cultivator Lan heard that Wei Wuxian was stirring up trouble, he set off immediately to lend assistance. To which party, his Council was not privy to, but they could guess. “Wei Ying?” “Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying’s head popped out from the dirt mound, his hair tangled and clothes in disarray. Lan Wangji noted the way his eyes lit up upon recognizing his beloved and hoped that Wei Ying could recognize the same elation in him. Three months had truly been too long. Wei Ying led him behind the dirt pile, calling out, “Hang on, Lan Zhan! I’m almost done with this!” Lan Wangji watched patiently, interpreting each of the talismans that Wei Ying was arranging. The seal array was intricate, but not demonic in nature. As usual, the rumors appeared to be much nastier than the truth. Finally, Wei Ying fully emerged from the dirt heap and bounded over to Lan Wangji. “So, what is the illustrious Hanguang Jun doing in a place like this? Shouldn’t you be busy doing Chief Cultivator stuff?” “Am doing,” Lan Wangji agreed with a curt nod. “Investigating.” “Investigating what?” Wei Ying asked, leaning forward to bump his shoulder against his beloved’s. Lan Wangji looked down in surprise at where their shoulders had touched, amazed at the wave of longing that passed through him. How he missed the easy touching that Wei Ying always instigated. But his beloved must have misinterpreted the look, because he hastily pulled back, apologizing, “Sorry, Lan Zhan, I’m a mess right now.” He patted his clothes down and pushed his hair messily behind his shoulder, as if that would help. Lan Wangji felt his lips twitch into a fond half-smile, and he reached out to tug the twisted hair ribbon out of his beloved’s unruly hair. “Ridiculous,” he judged, as Wei Ying willingly turned around at Lan Wangji’s silent request. Wei Ying barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess I look pretty ridiculous.” He waved his arms around to encompass his disheveled form, from the ripped clothing to the layer of mud to the hair he was currently fixing. “No,” Lan Wangji clarified, carefully tugging the hair into his favored style. “Your words are ridiculous.” “My words?” he questioned. He tilted his head, unmindful of the ponytail Lan Wangji was trying to tame his hair into. “Wei Ying is always a mess,” he replied simply. “Ahahahaha!” Wei Ying doubled over in laughter, pulling away from the knot Lan Wangji had just finished tying his hair ribbon into. “Lan-er-gege has developed a sense of humor in the months I’ve been away. How unfair that I have missed it!”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji murmured, ignoring the flush he could feel crawling up his ears. “I guess Chief Cultivator Lan needs it, having to deal with those old windbags all day!” Wei Ying straightened, and Lan Wangji’s eyes were drawn to the ponytail that was still defiantly askew. “Speaking of, I can’t believe your Council lets the Chief Cultivator come out to random night hunts, all alone and unprotected. Surely the cultivating world wouldn’t survive a day without you to lead it,” Wei Ying grinned impishly. “Can survive,” Lan Wangji assured him. “Needed to verify rumors about Wei Ying.” "So you dropped everything and traveled all this way for this small matter." Wei Ying shook his head. “So this is what they meant about chasing the chaos,” he muttered under his breath. "How did you hear about this?" "Lan Sizhui's report," Lan Wangji answered. "Oh, right. The Zhangs' servant probably…" Wei Ying trailed off, the gears in his mind turning rapidly in a way that had always uniquely enchanted Lan Wangji. "The whole thing got blown up out of proportion, anyway. You see, Lan Zhan, the daughter had run away, and the cousin got in a bit of a bad spot with a demonic cultivator, who somehow ended up finding…" Wei Ying rambled, detailing the convoluted Zhang family drama as he led Lan Wangji back to the Zhang Manor. After checking with the family and verifying that everything was taken care of, Lan Wangji asked where Wei Ying was headed to next. He hurriedly shook his head, assuring him, "Oh, Hanguang Jun doesn't have to worry about me! Your Wei Ying is safe and happy, traveling the world." Not as happy as I would be with you, goes unsaid, but they both understood. Lan Wangji disputed, “Always have to check on Wei Ying.” Wei Ying shook his head again and reiterated, “Lan Zhan, really, you don't have to trouble yourself anymore. You're the Chief Cultivator! You can't just hop Bichen for every far-flung rumor!" He playfully admonished. "Bichen is fast." Wei Ying just laughed sadly. "I know. Still, you have people for that! You need to go rest or attend to your thousands of duties or whatever you need to do. Don't you worry about me.” Lan Wangji stared into his earnest face. He hardly wanted to walk away from him after seeing him again for the first time in three months … but it looks like the Zhangs’ issues have been resolved, and he should probably head home to his piles of work. “Wei Ying is certain?” “Yeah,” Wei Ying smiled sadly. “Chief Cultivator is a big responsibility. Everyone else needs you more than I do.”

---

It’s so weird because Lan Wangji was the hardest character for me to, like, get in the mind of while watching MDZS, but my first three fics in this fandom have been from his pov. Irony.

If you enjoyed this, please let me know what you thought!

#wangjiweek2020 #happybdaylwj2020 #cql #cql fic #mdzs fic #lan wangji #fictional birthday #wei wuxian #post-canon #my writing

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noirbriar · 6 years

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MDZS ficlet : Empty Shadows (2)

(Part 1 here)

This fic is just musings of a dork about a character who seem to be a convenient tool for the story. Its strange how everyone had not given MXY extra thought but simply as a vessel and a second chance for WWX IMO.

Also somewhat based off zeldacw’s MXY backstory doujin.

Mostly word vomit but if its your cup of tea ( or bowl of congee ) please take it.

-----

Pieces of papers, fragments of thoughts, glimpses of the memories of a ghost. Some are ideas, others are just opinions of daily sort of routines. However, they seem almost too real, too coherent for a lunatic to have put on paper.

How did I miss all these? Am I blind...?! Wei Wuxian groans.Although now that he thinks about it...He was oblivious to Lan Wangji’s little advances for...Alright forget what he just said.Everything.He doesn’t want to slap his own mouth again.

Although in his defense, most of these were found in the Mo Estate and not the donkey shed.Most likely Mo Xuanyu’s thief of a cousin had taken them.

“Senior Wei, you have been engrossed in those papers for awhile.Are they that interesting?” Lan Sizhui smiles as he peers over his shoulder at the man on his donkey. ( “Either you give him the apple or don’t Senior Wei! Even I pity the animal!” Jingyi remarks watching Wei Wuxian dangle the apple in front of Little Apple. Wei Wuxian ignores the child. )

“Hmm, Sizhui ah,look at this and tell me what you think?” Wei Wuxian passes the young Cultivator a piece of the notes.Lan SIzhui skims the contents. The moon is bright enough even in the dense forest of Dafan Shan that the Lan disciples are able to continue leisurely.

“Are these your old works Senior Wei?”

“Sizhui ah. When we go back, you can ask Hanguang Jun if I had written this neatly back in our school days.”

“...That...Right.” Sizhui’s smile becomes abit more strained. “But if not yours then...?”

By now, all the other kids have gotten curious and started to gather closer around Lan Sizhui to read.Without Lan Wangji, its alot easier to relax and not be bound by the Lan family rules, but then again it might just be Wei Wuxian himself projecting. Not that the disciples are complaining.

“Could it be...Mo Xuanyu?But how did he manage to learn the demonic path?It...looks detailed.” one of the disciples voices out from the back.

“It is.Don’t forget, this is someone who has done a very difficult ritual to bring back a big bad.” (”Ahhh Senior Wei, please.”Sizhui tries to interject.) “Let’s do a little lesson shall we?As you read these notes, I want you guys to think and deduce his character.Now you all tell me, does this man sound like a lunatic?” Trust Wei Wuxian to turn anything into a lesson within a game for the kids. Although he wants to make sure its not himself that feels this way. He needs another perspective, why not ask these fresh young minds?

“No.Not really...No.” “No, he sounds smart though.” “ Who eats raw potatoes?!” (Sizhui twitches at the side at that remark.He implores to have that dark history remain where it is. Buried.)

“What does Senior Wei think?” Jingyi pipes up.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t reply for a long while.What does he think? To be honest, there’s lot he can say that he finds it hard to put into words. How does one even begin understanding a pitiful soul who was more than likely innocent before he got pulled into the grand scheme of things? He was just a boy, wanting to be accepted and recognised by his family. But probably was too naive and became a pawn in Jin Guangyao’s plans when he realised his half brother is gifted in the demonic path. After he has been used and wrung dry, the man cruelly plotted to have him tossed out in the most flashy and heartbreaking manner.

Anyone would snap.Either become vengeful and kill everyone or let the grief, the humiliation and madness consume them. It must have been the latter for Mo Xuanyu. Who would have to return to the Mo family, bringing disgrace and more suffering to his mother who raised him without a father and unmarried at that.

After which, even in his suffering...the idea that Nie Huaisang might have sought Mo Xuanyu out and implicate him in his own plans to foil Jin Guangyao’s. May it be willingly or not, its painful to even think about it.

A life for a life.This cycle of pain is not something that poor soul deserved.It probably might be a blessing that he no longer remained in this world to be used forever as a tool.

“I think, I would have liked to meet him.” Wei Wuxian smiles as he finally tosses the apple for Little Apple to crunch on at long last.

“WOOF!”

Before he promptly falls off the animal.

-----

”Jin Ling!W-Why are you here??” “Aren’t you suppose to be prepare for the Conference?” “ Didn’t you said you were swamped with work??”

”WILL ONE OF YOU GET THE DOG AWAY FIRST!!!??AHHH LAN ZHAN!! WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED YOUUU?”

”Wei Wuxian!You are pathetic,of all things the Yiling Patriarch fears!?Dogs!Embarrassing!And really, why would I hang around in that mess when Uncle is swinging Zidian around Koi Tower?I still want my legs!” Jin Ling scoffs at Wei Wuxian who is currently high up on the tree.Lan Sizhui simply pats the younger boy on his shoulder, imploring him silently to spare the demonic cultivator. It would do none of the disciples good if Lan Wangji hears of this. Anything regarding his husband, he will hear of it, present or not, and for sanity’s sake and his responsibility as leader of his Brothers...best spare the poor man.

”Sides, I am here on business anyway, you guys know everyone is collecting evidence and any loose ends U-I mean, Jin Guangyao, has done. So I passed by here just to make sure.”

”Sect Leader Jiang allowed you,a newly appointed Clan Leader to come alone? Has Lanling Jin really gone down deep or what?!” Jing Yi chirps incredulously.

Jin Ling shoos Fairy away before he jerks a thumb behind him where a dozen of purple robed cultivators have gathered and maybe a couple of yellow golden robed ones. The Lan disciples had to slowly calm down the tearful adult (ADULT?!) and coax him to come down. They has 21 days of punishment free days and counting so far, they are hoping to keep it that way.

”Nope.And its actually annoying.”

Gusu Lan, YunMeng Jiang and Lanling Jin upon Dafan Shan. Talk about walking down memory lane. Wei Wuxian thinks with a pout. They have gathered before the cave where the Goddess Statue once resided. Now, the cave is partially intact, and all that remains is a pile of rubble and...a shrine?

A tiny one, filled with offerings and red threads decorating it. It looked like one of those you find along the road, similar to those for the earth deity or gods watching over travellers, merchants.On the peak of the mountain, the moonlight cast down a pale glow, sombre and cold.

”Eh? Did the people down the mountain change a god to worship?” Wei Wuxian muses, scrutinising the shrine curiously.There was no malicious intent, no demonic energy, its void of anything to be honest.

”Nope.Its a memorial.” Jin Ling explains.”Remember the soul eating Goddess?”

”Hard to forget now isn’t it?It’s not everyday you see a statue eating people right in front of your face” Jingyi deadpans, his eyes dark and haunted.

”Didn’t ask for your input but yeah.Its for the souls she...er...It?Consumed. Spirits that have gone. Unable to return. The townsfolk thought it be heartless to not do something for the spirits of the victims.God knows how many it had even consumed or lost.Hence they came up with that Shrine.”

Gone. Lost. Forgotten.

Wei Wuxian stands before the wooden shrine, his gaze distant while the sounds of the children fades out behind him as they mingle. Mo Xuanyu’s papers feels almost warm between the folds of his robes.

“I just wish to be loved. Just once. “ Wei Wuxian remembers the meek voice had whispered in his dreams before other thoughts have drowned out that sad echo.

Mo Xuanyu did not deserved all that which had happened, driven to a dead end and forced to sacrifice his soul for a second of respite, and knowledge that his suffering will be dealt with by the Yiling Patriarch. His flaw was his innocence and at the end, without anywhere or anyone to turn to. Wei Wuxian was all too intimately familiar with that. However, soon time will pass, his soul will mould this body into his own, closer to what he once was to shape the vessel in likeness of the spirit. The last vestiges of Mo Xuanyu would be gone then from this world.Unlike the Yiling Patriarch, who was infamous and hated by many in the past and now as the demonic cultivator who had returned from the dead. Qishan Wen also had Wen Ning and Lan Yuan as proof they had lived even if their ashes are mostly gone with the mind, souls doomed to never reincarnate.

Without anyone to remember him by, without anything as proof he was once here in this world, could it be said that Mo Xuanyu had truly existed?

To be forgotten is indeed a far worse fate for any man.

The kids watches the demonic cultivator crouch down, kneeling before the tiny shrine in wonder.The others from Jiang Sect and Jin Sect watches curiously as well at what the infamous man may be up to wearily. Almost as if a veil has been cast over the man and the memorial.Nobody breathes as The Yiling Patriarch pulls out Chengqing and puts his hand in a tiny prayer upon the name of his instrument.A sign of respect. For if not for him, Wei Wuxian himself would not experience the joy of living. A joy that was never granted to Mo Xuanyu.

Fate is cruel.Yet he hopes in another world maybe, Mo Xuanyu could have a better life.

Mo Xuanyu. I shall cherish your memory safely. For what you have bestowed upon me by the weird crossing of Fate...Thank you.

-----

(Final part)

#take this brain fart #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #mo xuanyu #lan sizhui #lan jingyi #jin ling #lan disciples #Fairy #little apple #Empty Shadows #if you have read this all the wow thank you??#I really didnt know where I was going with this #no beta no checking because im trash #ooc warning

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taotrooper · 5 years

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Held with two hands

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi Characters: Wen Ning, Lan Sizhui, a bunny, Lan Wangji, and guest appearances by the two loudest people in Gusu Genre: Fluff, family, cuteness Summary: In which one of the Cloud Recesses bunnies makes an escape, and Wen Ning ends up getting a pet with Sizhui's help. Written for MDZS Zine - With Love, go check out the rest of the fanworks!

AO3 link ++ zine link

Over his head, up and above in the clear firmament, the white clouds danced across the blue sky, slow but determined, their shapes changing with the wind. He craned his neck up and looked at them in the silence of the morning. One of the largest ones looked like a duck swimming in the water if he squinted.

Looking for shapes relaxed him and made him forget about the weight of his body, about the old suppressed resentment that slept within him, about how dull this life was sometimes without pain or fear or hunger. But clouds, clouds were good. They made him remember of the soft texture of cotton gauzes.

"Hey! Uncle Ning!" A voice rang from the distance. The person he was expecting had arrived. The highlight of a day that otherwise would have been ordinary. A smile bloomed inside of Wen Ning's heart.

"Good morning, A-Yuan," he looked back to the Earth and nodded. The excited grin he couldn't put on his lips was nonetheless plastered in Lan Sizhui's.

"Good morning," the boy hugged him briefly and rubbed Wen Ning's upper back. "Sorry I'm late! I had to do extra chores. Jingyi got punished today so, he can't come."

"Oh no!" Wen Ning's head dropped.

He didn't mind that his little cousin had taken his time. It's not like he had much planned that day. He had hoped the other loud yet kind boy would come and visit as well. He was doomed to be rather fond of loud kind people. After Sizhui, he was the friendliest of the young boys towards him.

"It's okay, it's just an extra reading and not lines this time. He says he's definitely coming with us next time."

"I-I'm looking forward to it."

Sizhui giggled with his hand covering his mouth. The sound was music to Wen Ning's ears.

"Right, let me show you this cool trick we were taught in class today. Hold on a second."

The teenager took out a Qiankun pouch from his long white sleeve. As he opened it to get a stack of talisman paper, Wen Ning noticed that Sizhui's sleeve started to move on its own.

Sizhui froze and stared at his robes with confusion in his eyes. He bent his arm and shook the sleeve until something white and fluffy landed on the grass.

One long ear rose forward and a nose twitched in the air.

How did a bunny get inside of A-Yuan's clothes?

"Aw!" the boy lamented. "It must have sneaked inside while I was feeding the rabbits!"

"Feeding the rabbits?" Wen Ning repeated. This was the first time he had heard the Lan Sect raised animals of any kind in the Cloud Recesses. Then again, he had never stepped inside and only knew the things he caught from the boys or Wei Wuxian's stories. And hadn't A-Yuan mentioned that Lan Wangji had buried him with rabbits when he was younger? Suddenly that odd story made perfect sense.

Meanwhile, the creature was running in circles and jumping in the air. Wen Ning wondered if that was its way of playing. Sizhui didn't seem alarmed by the hops, so that couldn't be a bad thing. Despite that, the man's shoulders stiffened further.

"W-What should we do? Do we catch...?"

"It's okay, Uncle, I don't think it'll leave too far if it hasn't already. Besides, it's happy!"

"Is it?" Wen Ning tilted his head.

"When they jump like that, they're saying they're content and glad to be there. It's like a little dance."

"Oh..."

The bunny skipped a few more times before stopping to explore the area. And that meant it looked around, approached the stranger carefully, and then stood up on its hind legs to lean on Wen Ning's calf with its front legs. He looked down and glanced, and their eyes met. The bunny's right ear was naturally crooked, as if folded. The nose was still twitching. The cuteness was so strong that an impulse invaded the dead man's mind.

After a moment of hesitation, Wen Ning crouched and reached so the rabbit was then cupped within his two hands. It made no attempt to escape; instead, it just moved its head around. His heart felt a tender tug that had nothing to do with any wounds in his chest. With utmost caution, he shifted the weight in only one hand, and with the other he caressed the bunny's back with his fingertips.

It was not spooked, as he had feared. The fur was so soft and fuzzy. The rabbit's teeth started to make clicking sounds that made him recall a cat's purr after petting for a while.

"Whoa!" Lan Sizhui said with a gasp.

"I-Is it comfortable...?"

"Yes! It's actually really happy!" the boy beamed.

While he was physically unable to shed tears, Wen Ning strongly felt like crying.

He kept running his fingers through the bunny's back. Once he was more confident, he moved on to its head and later scratched behind its ears. The animal was delighted and tilted its bended ear closer to the ashen hand. High-pitched muffled noises came out of the man's throat, a stark contrast with the deafening deep roars of a fierce corpse.

"Are you by chance good with animals, Uncle?"

"Um... We had a couple of kittens when I was little, but other than that... I don't know. Ever since I became like this, I try not to get close and scare any animals." After all, they usually can tell he's unnatural and dangerous. "This is the first one I’ve touched this much."

"Aww, Uncle Ning..."

"Ah... Sorry..." A realization, a sadness that was visible in his frozen expression regardless. "Here, you have to take it back."

As he grabbed the rabbit under its front legs to give to Sizhui, it started to struggle. It couldn't escape the inhuman iron-like grasp, but it still let them know it disagreed with this decision. When Wen Ning turned it again to face him, it stopped the thrashing.

"..."

"Huh, it doesn't want to go back yet." Sizhui tapped his chin, lost in thought. "Let's do something, okay? I'll talk to Hanguang-jun."

"What for?"

"Well, the rabbits are his. But we have so many, so maybe he can let you have it. I mean, if you want it as a pet?"

Wen Ning couldn't blink, but his voice was but a whisper loaded with surprise. "A pet? Can I?" The idea of taking care of a small, fragile living being like that seemed wild to him.

"You don't lose control anymore so as long as you go on night-hunts together and such, I don't see why not?" Sizhui glanced at the makeshift shack that Wen Ning had made by the foot of the mountain to protect himself from the elements, as if evaluating whether a bunny could remain indoors or not without dying.

Wen Ning was holding the rabbit under its butt, in a way where the pads of its paws were visible. In that position, they could tell she was a girl. Also, she was too adorable. He didn't want to get his hopes up, and to be honest the idea was giving him some anxiety. Yet he really longed to have her company.

"I know a lot about bunny care, don't worry about the details. Let me fly back and ask!" Sizhui smiled. "Even if you're not allowed, at least I can buy you an afternoon to play with her."

"I-Isn't that too much trouble for you?" Wen Ning fretted.

"Of course not. I'll be back before curfew! Have fun!"

"W-Wait! A-Yuan?"

Sizhui didn't reply and instead unsheathed his sword.

Such a good boy, he thought as he saw his cousin get closer to the clouds above.

************

Sizhui went through the words he wanted to say one last time in his head, when he reached the Jingshi's door. Carefully, he placed his ear on the wooden surface and listened. No noises, no voices, no heavy breathing or alarming sounds. These days, it was essential to take a few seconds to make sure you didn't interrupt the happy couple during their time together. For your mental health, mostly.

Confident, the boy knocked and waited a few seconds. It was possible they hadn't returned yet and the house was empty, but a familiar voice rang from inside.

"Come in."

Sizhui opened the door carefully and greeted with a bright smile. "Good afternoon, Hanguang-jun. Welcome back!"

Lan Wangji was sitting at his desk. He nodded and put down the book he was reading. He seemed as solemn as usual but Sizhui knew better. There was an almost invisible yet tender spark in his eyes inside the stern complexion.

"Am I interrupting? I can come back later," the boy asked as he sat in front of the desk. He could smell the comforting scent of sandalwood from the incense burner, and he could see his father's guqin resting on a bamboo stand in a corner.

"No need, you are more important." Sizhui felt warm and loved at the words. "Are you just visiting or is there anything you wished to talk about?"

"Ah, yes. Um... It's about one of the rabbits. When I was feeding them this morning, one of the girls jumped inside my sleeve and well..." Sizhui sighed. "I went outside the Cloud Recesses and she managed to stow away." He made a pause to see if there was any reaction in Lan Wangji's face. His face was unchanging, which was even more intimidating. "She got away from me but don't worry, someone caught her."

"I see. Be more careful next time." Lan Wangji's voice was quite neutral at least, not giving it much importance.

"I will, but that's not the problem. I—"

They were interrupted by the faraway noise of an object breaking, two thuds, a clang, a donkey's outraged bray, and another familiar voice yelling something about either something black, a hound or a skull. That could be either of these things, considering this was Senior Wei in question. Neither of the two Lans decided to dwell on it.

"Anyway," Sizhui shook his head. "I wasn't the one who retrieved her. A... another person was nearby and he caught her. The thing is, the bunny really likes him. We already have so many, so I was wondering if we could allow him to keep her as his pet? Please? I feel bad breaking them up."

He bit his lower lip while his father figure was lost in thoughts. What if this was a mistake and he had given his uncle a false hope?

"As long as this person has no intentions of eating her," Lan Wangji finally said, "I have no objections."

"Hahaha, no!" Sizhui chuckled. "He doesn't eat." Realizing the mistake of ending the phrase there, he quickly added more to it. "Meat, I mean. He doesn't eat meat. No rabbit meat in his diet. Ahahaha..."

The pause was too long and awkward! Nonetheless, Hanguang-jun's face remained the same.

"Mmn. Make sure to tell him about proper care," he said. Sizhui let out the breath he was holding. "If he's a cultivator or you think he could partake in dangerous business, you may add a general version of our protocol on how to handle and keep small living beings safe during night hunts. In case that might be useful."

The boy wondered if that last part meant his father figure suspected this stranger's real identity. But since Sizhui didn't know Lan Wangji's actual opinion on Wen Ning or if he'd let one of his bunnies in the hands of a fierce corpse, he preferred to leave it at that.

"Thank you so much," Sizhui bowed, his ponytail bouncing up and down, and then stood up. "I'll leave you to your reading, okay?"

"Stop," Lan Wangji said after he had turned on his heels. "I need to discuss something with you as well, so please take a seat."

That didn't bode well, but Sizhui complied and hoped it didn't involve copying lines while doing a handstand again.

"Uncle has given me a series of complaints about you. He wants me to put sense into your head."

"Oh..." Indeed, this could end up in punishment. "About the night hunts?"

"About the night hunts. He's upset about you inviting Wen Qionglin, about you staying past the curfew, about you dragging the other disciples your age and about you being a bad influence to your juniors. This is a level of indiscipline improper of you."

Sizhui opened his mouth, but he immediately closed it before defending himself. He had no idea how to do that, how to explain how he felt about spending time with his Uncle Ning, how warm and fuzzy it was that Jingyi and the others were nice to him as if he wasn't the Ghost General. Yet he understood their teacher's worries, even if he thought they were unfair.

"I will appreciate it if in the future you act with prudence..."

"Hanguang-jun..."

"...and come back to the Cloud Recesses long before nine, if possible."

Sizhui blinked and waited for the rest, but Lan Wangji was already picking up his book from the desk.

"You're only concerned about the curfew?" he dared asking.

"I politely disagree with Uncle. Wei Ying and I don't think Wen Qionglin is a danger to any of you. "

Lan Sizhui let out a sigh. He straightened his back and returned to a serious expression that didn't match his relief.

"Understood. I'll do my best to follow the rules, and make the others follow them too."

"Mmn."

As he was about to leave the room, he heard Lan Wangji's voice behind him.

"I respect that he's your family, just like we are."

Sizhui's eyes started to prickle with hot tears, but the door opened and he saw a surprised smirk in front of him.

"Oh, it's Sizhui! Hey!" Wei Wuxian's hand pet the boy's head and ruffled his hairstyle. "Talk to you later, there's an emergency and I have to redraw suppressing talismans on a skull. Okay?"

"Y-yeah, please do so, Senior Wei. And welcome home!"

With quick steps, the fastest he could without running -as it was against the rules after all- the young man left the Jingshi with no questions for his other father figure about whatever mess he was solving or creating.

************

"Uncle Ning? Are you home?"

The voice and knock came from beyond the makeshift door. Without making sudden moves, the owner of the miserable but sturdy hut answered. "Yes."

The vision that awaited Lan Sizhui was quite amazing. Wen Ning lay on his back, on the body-long mat he used as a seating space or for a guest's bed. Over the length of his torso, the bunny flopped on her belly. Front paws under her head, back legs stretched out, ears laid back at an angle. She didn't mind the vein-marked hand that was scratching her in a lazy manner. No matter how you looked at it, the rabbit had come to trust this strange gray giant to the point of being able to completely relax on him.

Wen Ning couldn't see his relative's face until he sat next to him. Sizhui had a cute expression of delight that to him matched not only the animal but the state of his own heart.

After he regained some composure and stopped suppressing silly sounds —a struggle his uncle had understood too well for the entire afternoon— Sizhui coughed into his own fist and attempted to sound solemn.

"I have news. I spoke to Hanguang-jun, and he says he doesn't mind."

Wen Ning's eyes opened wide. He sat up in a jolt, not before placing a firm hand over the rabbit's body. She escaped his grasp in protest and jumped off, away from his arms. The man was too busy staring at the boy's honest grin in disbelief.

"I-Is it true? Really?"

"Really, really! She's yours!"

He had been bracing himself for a negative answer for the last hour. He had resigned himself to just enjoying a short time with the rabbit before returning her. As sad as it was, he had been used to things never going the way he hoped -even when he was alive his luck had always been beyond terrible. Despite this unusual positive response, he couldn't believe his ears.

Was it childish to be this happy for being allowed to keep a pet? It was as if the adult had been Sizhui instead of him, and that gave him a bit of shame. And yet... and yet... he felt so blessed he knew he would weep if his eyes could. His heart was swelling with joy.

"Thank you." His whisper left his lips in a broken voice. "Give Young Master Lan my thanks."

"Hahaha, he says there's no need."

"Did you hear, A-Ju?" He turned to the rabbit. "You're staying with me."

The bunny flopped again on the mat, this time on her left side and with her front legs folded near her chest.

"She keeps doing that," Wen Ning explained. "It's cute."

"It's a good thing," Sizhui assured him. "So her name is Ju?"

Wen Ning nodded. He would have blushed if he could. Despite his pessimism, he had still decided on a full name for her. He had thought for a long time.

"Written which what character?"

"Like chrysanthemum," Wen Ning drew 菊 in the air with a finger.

"Ah, that's pretty! I thought it was from bent." He drew 局 and pointed at the bunny's quirky ear.

"Ah, that too. She, uh... Her full name is Ju Juju."

"And the other Ju?" Sizhui leaned closer with sparks in his eyes.

Wen Ning picked up A-Ju and grasped her with his two hands as an answer. "Ju." His cousin drew the right character in the air, 匊, before cracking up.

"Pfffft, Uncle!" Sizhui snickered.

"I know, it's kind of silly..."

"I like that wordplay, though." The boy tickled the belly of the now named Ju Juju. "I do think it's clever!"

A-Yuan was one of the few people Wen Ning knew who genuinely found his jokes and puns funny. He had stopped saying them during his childhood when he only received exasperated groans, and it was wonderful when he accidentally discovered that they had a similar sense of humor.

"Ju as the flower for short," Wen Ning added, ruffling Sizhui's hair very softly.

"Yep, it's the most name-like. And her tail is fluffy like that flower so it suits her."

"Yes." Wen Ning forced a smile on his lips. Sizhui looked around and saw the small bowls of fruit and water on the ground, and a couple of sticks and stones that his uncle had offered as prospects for temporary toys.

"Okay, should I tell you how to take care of her?"

"Please do."

He was going to love to take care of her.

************

Epilogue

"Hey! Wen Ning!" Wei Wuxian's voice rang out, this time not enticing with orders but just appealing with the cordiality of an old friend. It was not a summon but a call. Behind him, Lan Wangji was holding Li’l Apple's reins and two boys trotted next to their seniors.

"...Young Master Wei." A tall, meek figure came out of the bamboo forest.

Wei Ying grinned as the Lan clan members exchanged greetings. Was it his imagination, or did Wen Ning's chest look a bit more buff? Couldn't be, and yet he looked slightly bulkier.

"Coming with us to a night hunt?" Wei Wuxian said.

"Y-Yes, I'd love to... Just give me two minutes." Wen Ning's well-worn boots were twitching, as if he wanted to run away.

"What's wrong?" Lan Wangji asked.

"Uh? N-Nothing, I need to... drop something at the hut..."

That's when Wen Ning's pectorals started to rustle and jingle. Before anyone could say anything, a white head emerged from his shirt. It was a rabbit.

Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi shared the same guilty look on their faces which meant that, unlike Wei Wuxian, they understood what was going on.

"Why is there's a bunny here?" Had it been anyone else, Wei Wuxian would have also asked Wen Ning a question about the possibility of catching it to roast it, but he knew the his friend wouldn’t appreciate that. Besides, for some reason there were two ribbons, one white and one red, forming a little bow around its neck so it was probably a pet. Tied to the ribbons, there was a little round silver bell which explained the noise.

A white blur slowly passed by everyone until he stood in front of Wen Ning, who started to shake. Lan Zhan just glanced at the animal. After some seconds of indecision, Wen Ning took it out of his shirt and raised it towards his old master's husband with reluctance. The boys seemed as nervous as the fierce corpse.

Lan Wangji didn't grab the bunny, though. He moved his hand to place it over the fuzzy ears. Just like that, he started to pet it. It closed its eyes and leaned closer to the elegant fingers of jade. Neither his or Wen Ning's face had made any change in their expression, just them staring at the fluffy white thing, one holding it and the other one caressing it.

Wei Wuxian couldn't take it. They were too much. His stomach was hurting from the strain of suppressing the laughter.

"Oh, I can't with this!" he guffawed. Lan Wangji stopped and turned around. Wen Ning quickly let the bunny climb to his shoulder, where it licked its owner's cheek. "You two..." Wei Ying giggled, unable to restrain himself. "Adult men shouldn't be this cute!"

"Right?!" Jingyi nodded furiously.

"Senior Wei can be cute as well sometimes," Sizhui helped.

"Well, I guess that's—" Wei Wuxian pouted, unable to feel fully complimented or insulted. He crossed his arms. "Wait, why only sometimes?"

"Let me take A-Ju back inside," Wen Ning said. "She has a big corral."

"Mnn," Lan Wangji said, ignoring the return of his beloved's loud laugh. "As in the flower?"

"Yes, Young Master Lan."

"Good name."

Wen Ning couldn't beam at Lan Zhan's comment but he sure looked the happiest they had seen in a while. After a string of thankful sounds, the undead man ran to his hut with the bunny on his shoulder. The bell rang with every step.

Lan Wangji didn't smile either but Wei Wuxian glanced at the tenderness in his eyes. The latter wasn't sure if it was the rabbit or warming up to Wen Ning over a common interest that wasn't protecting Wei Wuxian or the juniors' asses for once. Still, he was mesmerized by the soft expression on that beautiful face until Jingyi's voice broke the spell.

"But Senior Wei has a point," he said. "I don't think anyone would believe us if we told them that we witnessed Hanguang-jun and the Ghost General, two of the strongest and scariest men of the cultivation world, basically coo over a bunbun together."

"Hahaha, yes!" Sizhui agreed.

"That's part of their secret charm!" Wei Wuxian grinned and clasped around his husband's arm. Wen Ning returned with a little hop into his steps. Wei Ying in turn was also content to see this man, whom he had cursed with such a miserable afterlife, so full of love.

In fact he decided it was better than any teasing or cooking joke he could make. Adult men like those two could and should be this cute, especially around him and the kids.

#mo dao zu shi #wen ning #lan sizhui #lan wangji #wei wuxian #lan jingyi #mdzs spoilers #$fanfic

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