#eventually they find their way back to the lan cultivators and xichen tells lqr he’d met a kid. a poor orphan oh no he has no one

[fifty-percent-weeb]

AU where wangji is a baby dragon yao. Young xichen meets him in the outer forests and brings him home. Didi acquired!

Wangji mimics xichen’s appearance and xichen teaches him how to act human 😌

[radishtears]

gently, we fall

grey

... ... ...

A small bit: There had been Lan Sect disciples among Jin Zixun’s troupe. Hanguang-jun wasn’t happy about that.  

... ... ...

“Er-ge.”

Lan Xichen turns to find Jin Guangyao behind him.

“A-Yao, you’ve worked hard.”

After Jin Zixun’s sentence had fallen, Jin Guangshan had hurried out of the hall, leaving the remaining mess to his sons.

Naturally, Jin Zixuan had taken on the task of looking after his distraught wife and her family. For once, Jin Guangyao does not envy him at all.

“Er-ge, the matters on my side have mostly wrapped up. It’s just that...” Jin Guangyao hesitates. “It’s just that there were Lan disciples among Zixun’s party and I thought it was best to leave them to you.”

Lan Xichen is taken aback. He...had no idea.  

“I... Of course, A-Yao. My sect has caused you trouble; my sincerest apologies.”

“No, no, Er-ge. It’s no fault of yours.”

They exchange a few more pleasantries before parting ways. Lan Xichen digests this information as he walks, very slowly. He doesn’t know how to face his brother.

...

Lan Wangji already knew. He had been there after all. He’d seen the white robes among the gold, bows and arrows in hand.

For the first time, he thinks Wei Ying was right to compare their sect uniform to mourning clothes.

He stares straight ahead as the two brother stand facing a solemn-faced Lan Qiren.

“It is a great shame that such a disgraceful event has come to pass,” the elder says. “Even though Wei Ying had committed many faults, he was certainly the victim in this matter.”

Lan Xichen is about to voice his agreement when Lan Wangji speaks.

“Uncle. What faults have Wei Ying committed?”

Lan Qiren frowns. “He has deviated from the righteous path and taken lives carelessly. Is that not wrong, Wangji?”

“Wangji...does not know.”

Lan Wangji bows his head in acquiescence.

“Wangji asks for Uncle’s advice. Was it wrong for Wei Ying to avenge his family with demonic cultivation? Uncle, I saw those Wens on the Burial Mounds. Was it wrong for him to save those doctors, women and children?

“Did Wei Ying’s actions warrant punishment of death? Simply because he cultivated a different path?”

Lan Qiren stares wide-eyed down at this esteemed nephew of his. He is a reasonable man and as much as he detests demonic cultivation, he finds he cannot give a steadfast answer.

It is Lan Xichen who breaks the tense silence.

“There is one other matter, Uncle. Young Master Jin Zixun’s party also included several of our own disciples. They will receive the appropriate punishment.”

Lan Xichen bows.

“Mn.” Lan Qiren runs a hand through his thin beard. “I trust you will handle—“

“They will be expelled from the sect.”

“...Wangji?”

Lan Xichen startles and turns to look at his brother. Lan Wangji does not return his gaze. His posture is proper as always but Lan Xichen notices a rigidness in his shoulders.

“They lay judgement without understanding the situation, without knowing the full truth. Their actions led to an outcome that is...that is irreparable.”

Lan Qiren considers this.

“That may be so. However, as they were not the instigators of this event, they stand to learn from their mistakes. A second—“

For the second time Lan Qiren is interrupted.

“Uncle! There is no second chance.” Lan Wangji takes a barely noticeable breath. “There...won’t be another chance. As disciples of this sect, they have not learned our core teachings...and are not fit to study here any further.”  

In this moment, Lan Xichen is genuinely afraid that his brother would announce that he too is leaving the Lan Sect.

Their uncle may not understand but Lan Xichen? What kind of older brother would he be if he didn’t realize who Wangji wanted to bring back and hide away? And if he didn’t fully understand the depth of Wangji’s feelings before, he is beginning to see now.

Lan Xichen hurries to speak before Lan Qiren can.

“Wangji’s suggestion is within reason. Uncle, I implore you to contemplate this matter further. I too will take my punishment for lack of oversight and...for judging without knowing the full truth.”

...  

Lan Xichen remains a step behind Lan Wangji as they take their leave. Their silhouettes are alike, as onlookers like to point out. But today, Lan Xichen thinks they surely would be easy to tell apart.

There is a heavy slope to his brother’s shoulders, a lonely figure framed in the wide entrance of the hall. Somehow, Lan Xichen is reminded of a much smaller figure kneeling in the snow. Only this time, it is rain that falls and stains white cloth.

He steps out the door just as the first droplets fall.

... ... ...

My WWX-biased mind believes LQR will eventually come to secretly like WWX and see him as a junior to be proud of. Maybe post-marriage. But before that, I do think LQR had formed a bad impression of him and that coloured his judgement of him afterwards. Yeah, I admit, I’m a tiny bit mad at him automatically believing the worst of my poor baby.  No! You must love WWX! 😂

Ko-fi