Chapter Text
“There is no need for you to get up yet.” said Lan WangJi.
“You may stay in bed.”
Wei Ying shook his head. He was sitting on the edge of the mattress, swinging his legs, wrapped loosely in his under robe and nothing more, and Lan Wangji could see the mark of his own mouth on his husband’s neck, his chest, his calf.
“Is that what you’re going to wear?” Wei Ying asked. He pulled the robe closed around him as he rose, and padded over to the dressing table. He sorted through the hair ornaments with long fingers, pausing to marvel at the ones he hadn’t yet seen.
“Wear this one, Lan Zhan! It’s awe inspiring!”
“If you will eat.” said Lan WangJi pointedly, and Wei Ying pouted dramatically as if heartbroken.
“Plain congee.” he said, with no enthusiasm.
“I don’t know how you even eat it.”
“It is nutritious.” Lan WangJi chided him.
“And it is not plain. It has eggs in it.”
“It looks like glue.” said Wei Ying, darkly, but he thumped back down on the bed and started to eat. Lan WangJi pulled the covers back up and tucked them around his husband more tightly.
“When do you want to visit your family?” Wei Ying asked through a mouthful of congee and blinked up at Lan WangJi enquiringly.
Lan WangJi considered his husband. Wei Ying was a grown man and had had many years to think over the Lan precepts. This particular one was likely a lost cause, if he had not absorbed it by now.
“I was planning to go this morning. Uncle is more patient earlier in the day, and more receptive to new information. But you do not have to come.” he said instead.
“Lan Zhan! As if I do not know my duty! Why would I not want to visit your family?” Wei Ying gasped, and held a hand to his heart in mock horror.
“Yesterday was a long day. You could rest, instead. I could bring Amethyst in.” Lan WangJi offered.
‘My goat baby!” Wei Ying rubbed his hands together with glee.
“I promised her a bath today! But I will come with you first! Unless… you would rather I didn’t?” he asked in a small voice.
“Ridiculous.” scoffed Lan WangJi, and rolled his eyes.
Wei Ying beamed at him and set to work on his congee.
“There’s a lot of people out this morning.” said Wei Ying, conversationally. Lan WangJi looked at him sideways, but Wei Ying didn’t seem unhappy. He was holding his face up to the sun and the breeze and keeping step with Lan WangJi as if quite contented.
“It is the capital, Wei Ying.” said Lan WangJi, gently.
“But it’s still early, Lan Zhan! I’ve never seen so many people out so early before!” said Wei Ying.
“That was because you used to sleep late, when you were here last.” said Lan WangJi. He took his husband’s hand, in case Wei Ying misunderstood his statement of fact as any kind of criticism. His husband smiled at him sunnily and squeezed his hand in return.
“You were going to tell me something.” he said.
“About A-Yu.”
“Yes.” said Lan WangJi.
“Yes, I was.”
“This is…” said Wei Ying, and tapped his foot. His eyelids dropped over his eyes as he thought.
“This could be bad.” he said. Lan WangJi touched his husband’s shoulder to move him out of the path of a man carrying a crate of chickens, and Wei Ying took two steps sideway absent mindedly, still deep in thought.
“We don’t have much chance of concealing him, really. Jiang Cheng has already met him.” said Wei Ying. He took a deep breath.
“We will have to risk that Jin Zixuan means what he says. But we take A-Yu to meet Shiije first.”
“That is what I thought as well.” said Lan WangJi.
“Jin Zixuan has never been dishonourable before, but…”
“Jin Zixuan is no longer just Jin Zixuan. And Emperors…” Wei Ying grimaced, and waved his hand.
“He would never do anything that would lower your sister’s opinion of him.” said Lan WangJi , firmly.
“The Empress will be very pleased to meet someone else who enjoys cooking."
“She will, won’t she?” Wei Ying smiled fondly, and then brightened.
“She can teach A-Yu to make soup!” he exclaimed, his eyes widening.
Lan WangJi doubted that any soup that Mo XuanYu made could possess the famed and almost mythical properties of that made by Jiang Yanli, but all things were possible.
“All things are possible.” he agreed.
Wei Ying smiled at him, and started to walk on, head held high, hands clasped behind his back. Lan WangJi admired the view. It took a few moments for Wei Ying to realise he was walking alone, and he turned in a circle until he found Lan WangJi.
“Hurry up, Lan Zhan!” he exhorted, and waved, still walking but walking backwards.
“I am here.” Lan WangJi answered, and followed on.
“No good will come of it!” said Lan Qiren, gloomily.
“Two advisors, in one family! It can only lead to the rupture of peaceful matrimonial relations! What will happen when you disagree?” Lan Qiren shook his head and tugged at his beard. Wei Ying tilted his head and frowned.
“I’m sorry, uncle in law, I don’t understand?” he asked, puzzled.
Lan WangJi looked at him across the table. Wei Ying was polite, focused, and very, very, very, pretty, really very pretty with the sun catching his eyes and a stray lock of hair falling forward…..
Lan Xichen huffed out a very quiet laugh. Lan WangJi’s uncle closed his eyes.
‘“Wei Wuxian, is that a chopstick behind your ear?” he asked, in a tone of despair.
“Sorry! Sorry, Uncle in law, I’m out of practice of being in polite company!” Wei Ying gave Lan WangJi an apologetic glance and a quick grimace even as he laid the chopstick carefully back in its place. He put his hands together to bow.
“You are excused.” intoned Lan Qiren. Lan Xichen spilt his tea and exclaimed quietly in exasperation. Lan WangJi handed him a handkerchief to mop his lap.
“I am glad that you are returned, Wei Wuxian.” said Lan Qiren, still in doom laden accents. He opened his eyes. He appeared to be struggling internally.
“WangJi mourned for you very deeply. “ he said.
“It is always the dearest wish of my heart that he be happy.”
“Mine too!” exclaimed Wei Ying ungrammatically. He turned a smile like the sun towards Lan WangJi, and Lan Wangji could only blink, dazzled.
“I am happy.” said Lan WangJi.
“I have finished another volume of the precepts, WangJi.” said Lan Qiren, unbending.
“If you and your husband would care to read it.”
“Mn.” said Lan WangJi.
“We have to be home in time to bathe the goat before we take Wei Ying’s ward to the palace to be introduced as Jin Zixuan’s half brother, but we should have an hour or so in hand.”
There was a brief pause. Wei Ying touched his toes to Laan WangJi’s shin under the table, and smiled at him.
“Does the goat enjoy being bathed, WangJi?” asked Lan Xichen, carefully.
“We don’t know! That’s the thing! She might not like it!” explained Wei Ying.
“Zewu Jun, you should come with us! We might need an extra pair of hands, and you can meet A-Yuan.”
“I would not want to intrude.” said Lan Xichen, hesitantly. Lan WangJi was startled, then pleased. His brother was showing signs of interest in the outside world, or, at least, in goats.
“No, no, you are more than welcome! Everybody’s welcome to our house, aren’t they, Lan Zhan?” exclaimed Wei Ying, and put his hand over Lan WangJi’s.
“Yes.” said Lan WangJi, and took his husband’s hand.