Chapter Text
“He is frighteningly quick. He digests knowledge like it’s water. It"s incredible,” the older man said, as he put his books away and regarded Lan Zhan.
The Second Jade was a source of fascination for his young pupils, who regarded him and the Sect Leader as objects of admiration. Rightfully so, as they were remarkable cultivators, but the addition of the huli jing had caused Lan Wangji’s star to rise the highest as far as the children were concerned. Then when the huli jing joined them for lectures, the children were hardly able to control their excitement.
“He is smart?” Lan Zhan asked. He knew this, Wei Ying was a fast learner, but to have others acknowledge it was gratifying.
“Very. Uncommonly so,” the man confirmed. “Potentially we are unlocking a lot of past life knowledge and experience, which is also likely pushing things along, but that doesn’t take away from the fact his progression is remarkable. He couldn’t fire an arrow last week, now he can hit the target. Next week it will be a bullseye. Just think how long it took you to master that skill.”
“Certainly not a couple weeks,” Lan Zhan agreed. “Wei Ying said he lived in Yunmeng, perhaps we could offer him some alternative means of training? Some techniques he might be more familiar with?”
“We can try to emulate some of Yunmeng’s styles, but perhaps a better solution would be to invite Yunmeng disciples to visit?”
“I’d feel uncomfortable, revealing him so freely with the other sects,” Lan Zhan confessed. He was sure news of Wei Ying had reached far and wide a long time ago, but other than the small gathering of Sect Leaders his brother had recently hosted, the Cloud Recesses had remained relatively quiet.
“He will have to encounter people outside of the Cloud Recesses soon, and why not first in his own home?”
Lan Zhan considered it.
“I shall speak to my uncle about this.”
*
Finding occupation for Wei Ying was at first a challenge, there were few volunteers who wanted the responsibility of the Second Jade’s huli jing. Lan Zhan didn’t necessarily blame anyone for their reluctance. Should something happen to Wei Ying on their watch, then they would face the wrath of the Second Jade, who would undoubtedly bring upon them the attention of the Sect Leader. So eventually, it was decided that Wei Ying would follow a plan of study, and cultivate on the same path as the disciples of the Lan Sect. But how to make that happen was not so straight forward. No one was overly sure what level of knowledge Wei Ying was operating with, and every now and then he gave up on walking on two legs, and disappeared into the woods as a fox.
When asked why he did this, he’d just replied, “It gets too quiet here Lan Zhan. I didn’t notice before, but I make a lot of noise, and sometimes I just like to do it without the disapproving looks.”
It hurt Lan Zhan to realise Wei Ying had begun to notice the whispering, and the stares. He was vivacious and loud, his presence unable to be ignored. Lan Zhan had lived his whole life with everyone’s eyes on him, and the temptation to run away into the woods too was more than appealing.
“Just as long as you’re doing that because you want to,” Lan Zhan had told him. “Not because you think you have to.”
“I cause too much distruction as a fox. I prefer not having to deal with it the following day,” Wei Ying had said, somewhat sagely. It was true. Fox-Wei Ying had caused considerable havoc around the Cloud Recesses, and a lot of his activities were better suited to the wild.
“I miss you when you’re not here,” Lan Zhan had said. Wei Ying had looked at him with understanding, and promptly pushed him towards their bed.
“Then I shall give you extra attention, to make up for what you missed.”
So Wei Ying sat with the children, learning how to read and write. The first few weeks he made no progress. His attention was elsewhere. But then he seemed to begin relearning things no one was teaching him, and soon Lan Zhan would find odd workings all over the Jingshi. Half created talismans and notes with strange drawings.
***
The Jiangs were generous and sent their only son to Gusu, with few of his peers, clearly eager for him to experience another Sect’s teachings. Although Lan Zhan and Jiang Wanyin didn’t warm to each other, the young man accepted his task of daily sword and archery practice with Wei Ying with surprising enthusiasm. To the point that Wei Ying stopped seeking Lan Zhan out at his work or studies and began referring to other boy as Jiang Cheng.
“I can see you are getting jealous,” Lan Xichen said conversationally one afternoon. “But there is no need.”
“I am not jealous,” Lan Zhan said, refusing to look up from his work.
“The Jiang boy might be the only person who seems wholly unaffected by your huli jing’s magnetism.”
There was a pause, and Lan Zhan looked up. Magnetism? Lan Xichen was smiling at him, but it was a knowing teasing sort of smile disguised as his usual cheerfulness.
“I am not jealous,” he repeated firmly. But in truth this wasn’t completely true. Jiang Wanyin might be the only one he’d been concerned about since Wei Ying’s arrival, despite some younger clan members mooning-eyes. Wei Ying had taken to this future Sect Leader with ease, and although their interactions were undoubtedly wholly childish, Lan Zhan had felt the green eyed monster wake inside himself.
“They wrestle and run around, they shoot targets for hours. It’s as if they were friends before they met,” Lan Xichen continued, metaphorically poking at him for a reaction.
“Wei Ying is from Yunmeng… he may well have been friends with the Jiangs…”
“Then there is nothing to worry about,” Lan Xichen said, smiling again, this time in a more comforting way. “Wei Ying is making remarkable progress. Although, from the stories of huli jing cultivation, it should have been expected. Why else should someone tear down their kingdom for a huli jing?”
“Other than the magnetism you mean?” Lan Zhan asked with a continued deadpan face.
Lan Xichen blushed slightly.
“I am very happy for you Wangji. It gives me great comfort to know someone loves and cares for you. I can let go of some of my worries,” Lan Xichen said before waving away Lan Zhan’s unspoken question at that statement. “It is an older sibling’s curse didi, to be the one who worries.”
“Is the worry only to be one sided?” Lan Zhan asked. There was plenty that caused him concern for his brother, the weight of his position for one.
“I shall endeavour to tell you if there is ever anything you can do to help me, is that enough of a promise to relieve the worries of the youngest sibling?” Lan Xichen said.
He knew he shielded Wangji against a lot of trials and problems, and Wangji likely had more awareness of what was kept from him these days. Letting go and letting him in would be an ongoing challenge, when the need to protect baby Wangji was still an automatic reaction.
“Tell me a worry that is on your mind,” he invited. “Not about me. Tell me about Wei Ying.”
Lan Zhan didn’t need to think too hard about that, and said, “Uncle will seek to use him if he continues improving like this.”
Lan Xichen sighed. He couldn’t fix that one.
“We all have a part to play in the sect. Such a gifted member would be wasted if not put to some occupation. Wei Ying may yet relish the opportunity to contribute. He seems enthusiastic and capable. You make a formidable pair,” he said kindly, patting Wangji’s arm. “You’ll have to let him be tested, just as I have to let go of the reins over you. But the worry will always remain.”
~*~
Lan Zhan hurried to the small farm that was on the outskirts of the Sect, where Wei Ying had some months ago, killed the chicken. The scene before him was chaos, with his brother and uncle standing amongst it all like two statues. Upon being noticed, Lan Qiren narrowed his eyes.
“The huli jing…”
“Uncle this wasn’t Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan replied instantly, before the accusation could be spoken.
He looked at the dead chickens, strewn around the ground carelessly. Feathers were scattered everywhere and blood had splattered most surfaces. This was no kill for food. This was a slaughter in the most inhumane way.
“This was a set up,” the man who tended the chickens said suddenly, joining them after finishing his inspection. “When the huli jing killed the chicken, he bit it like a fox. Shook it about, broke its neck quickly. He ripped it up, ate it, left behind the bits that can’t be digested. He even gnawed the feet. He killed it to eat it. One chicken, because he was hungry. But this is a slaughter. None are eaten. I’d suggest that Wei Ying has an enemy here. Someone who wants to see him in trouble.”
There was silence after this speech and Lan Qiren looked conflicted. Clearly this wasn’t the news he had been expecting to hear and now he didn’t know what to say.
“We can’t know that,” he eventually concluded. “Foxes decimate hen houses all the time. Not just for food.”
“I know it wasn’t Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said with more confidence. Wei Ying didn’t repeat his fox-errors once he’d been corrected. Plus the cruelty of this didn’t suit him.
“How can you be certain?” His uncle asked. “He disappears at night.”
Lan Zhan looked at his brother. They must have discussed Wei Ying between the two of them many times and Xichen had the grace to look mildly ashamed.
“I told him not to hurt the chickens. He will not touch them again. If he wants to eat chicken, he will ask.” Lan Zhan knew this to be a fact, as Wei Ying had had many questions about taking things and asking for permission or exchanging money for goods. He was always eager to please and where there were significant gaps in his knowledge, he tried extra hard to get it right.
“That’s right, he’ll ask me for eggs, just eats them raw, straight out the shell…” the man agreed nodding.
Lan Qiren scoffed, rolled his eyes and surveyed the destruction some more and said, “This boy is disgusting.”
Lan Xichen looked at him surprised.
“Many people eat raw eggs uncle, it is not uncommon. Especially for nutrition, and it is a good source of energy for physical training,” he said. His uncle was uncommonly stuck in his ways, and struggled to fathom anyone wanting to do anything outside of the Lan tradition. Including eating anything that wasn’t predominantly a bowl of vegetables.
“Disgusting,” Lan Qiren repeated, unconvinced and nonmoving in his opinion. “Preposterous.”
Lan Xichen smiled to himself and realised how blatantly bias the elders had been all these years towards him and how unfair to Wangji. It had taken him a while to see it, being too young and too under their rule to challenge it. But it no longer passed him by.
“Dragons eat chickens and eggs, and other animals, are they also disgusting?” He pointed out. “Once my dragon cultivates their humanlike form, I shall be sure to point out how disgusting they are.”
“That is different,” Lan Qiren snapped.
“How so?”
Lan Qiren could see he’d been trapped in a corner by his nephew, but he still continued down the same track, with a, “It just is.”
Lan Xichen smiled, and nodded at Wangji. He wouldn’t listen to this nonsense anymore, and Wangji didn’t need to either. It was time the elders got it out of their system and moved on. Wei Ying was harmless.
“Uncle, your logic is deeply flawed. So much so it is simply comical,” he said, causing his uncle to roll his eyes skyward once again in frustration. “Wangji, there is no evidence this was Wei Ying. But I suggest you keep a closer watch over him, since there appears to be someone in our number who wishes him harm.”
Lan Zhan gave his brother a small bow of gratitude for his kind advice and for his defence of Wei Ying in the face of their uncle.
“Wei Ying is not easy to keep contained,” he said, knowing his brother already knew all about Wei Ying’s midnight wandering and his uncontrollable energy.
“Then explain the reasons to him. Wei Ying enjoys being close to you, I’m sure he is not difficult to persuade…”
Lan Qiren turned to face them both in outrage, “Xichen, that’s enough!” He ordered.
Lan Xichen just continued to smile placidly, and returned the argument back to their uncle.
“Why? Wangji will marry the huli jing, why are we pretending otherwise? I give him my blessing, and I hope you will give yours uncle,” he said. “In the meantime, as didi’s spirit-companion, what hurts him hurts Wangji, and we must find the truth of this.”
***
The Night Hunt hadn’t gone well, a few of them were injured and Lan Zhan was still waiting for Wei Ying to turn up again. He had run into a thicket following a trail, and had yet to reappear.
Now the sun was rising, and Wei Ying was still not back. The rest of the small teams were regrouping, and Lan Zhan’s group all looked at each other. They were mostly young juniors, so concentrating on themselves and not being able to successfully keep their attention on each other was understandable. At some point it seemed everyone had gotten separated.
“Where is the huli jing?” A young man asked, with something of a skeptical look on his face. “Has he run away?”
Lan Zhan noted that it was Su She, a generally unfriendly person who often followed him in cultivation style, but never seemed all that happy about it. Lan Zhan addressed directly.
“Lead the rest back to the Cloud Recesses. I will stay here,” Lan Zhan said. Su She seemed to brighten at being singled out with the responsibility of keeping everyone else in line, and started rounding them all up to leave.
“We can help!” A couple young juniors offered.
Lan Zhan politely declined. It would be faster to search alone, rather than having to split his attention. Without the other bodies in the woods, he would be able to sense Wei Ying’s presence a lot easier. They bowed to him and left reluctantly, looking back over their shoulders to watch Lan Zhan stride away.
The woods were cold and empty without the chatter of juniors and the sound of spiritual instruments. But there was no sign of Wei Ying, and his concern was growing. After a few hours Lan Zhan didn’t know which direction to move in. His efforts to connect to Wei Ying had failed, and he sat down in desperation to try again. Closing his eyes he tried to call for him.
The reply was faint, and Lan Zhan only just caught it.
Lan Zhan!
Turning in the direction he now knew to be true, Lan Zhan ran without care. The trees snagged his clothes and mud covered his boots and hems of his robes. Ahead of him he saw a small mound, a spirit trapping net and a black something trapped inside.
“Wei Ying!”
Lan Zhan skid on his knees in his hurry to get near the net, slicing it in half with Bichen, and pulling the sad black fox free of its entanglement. Wei Ying was cold and weak, and one of his back paws was bloody, but there appeared to be no immediate danger. Holding him close, Lan Zhan stood and stepped onto Bichen.
“So what happened?” Lan Xichen asked, as the doctor assessed the fox. Wei Ying had stubbornly remained in this form, or perhaps was too tired to change.
“The spirit trapping net has drained him, any longer in there and he most certainly would have perished,” the doctor concluded.
“Someone did this to him,” Lan Zhan said, not bothering to temper his anger. “This and the chickens, it’s too much of a coincidence.”
“If they did, they have been very careful about being caught. You say it was an old spirit trapping net? It could be argued it had been left in the woods and Wei Ying fell into it,” Lan Xichen said cautiously. He didn’t want to rile up Wangji’s ire any further.
“And the chickens killed by another predator?” Lan Zhan said, knowing where this argument was going. “How many incidents need to occur?”
“I am not arguing with you Wangji, I’m just saying that I can’t act on coincidental events. Eventually the truth will come out.” Hopefully before anything more serious occured, Xichen added to himself.
News of Wei Ying’s injury travelled fast, and a gift of healing herbs arrived from the Yunmeng Jiangs. Wei Ying slept for a week, until he was back on his feet. But some of his joy had been dimmed and he was cautious.
“What happened?” Lan Qiren had asked Wei Ying sternly upon his waking.
“I don’t know. I was running and then the net fell on me. I couldn’t get out,” Wei Ying had said.
Wei Ying was unable to identify anything and the matter was dropped. But Lan Zhan wasn’t convinced that was the whole of it, but Wei Ying stuck to his story, and there was little he could do.
***
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying whispered into his ear. His breath tickled skin, and Lan Zhan was forced to look away from his calligraphy. “Come and play with me now..”
Lan Zhan could feel his ears heat up and other eyes turn in their direction. Even though he had permission to leave at any time, as it was private study in the library, it was still expected that he would stay and complete his work. Wei Ying on the other hand clearly had no intention of attending his lectures today, and was allowing his tails to provocately drape over Lan Zhan.
He’d swanned into the library as if he’d owned it, past the juniors receiving punishment, past the seniors making notes. He’d walked without any sense of self consciousness across the room to Lan Zhan, ignoring all the eyes that followed. Lan Zhan loved that part of Wei Ying, the confidence, the knowledge that everyone looked his way, and the lack of care over it.
His new robes added to his eye-catching appearance. In black he stood out further from the crowd, and although he had robes of white for studying, he rarely wore them. No one reprimanded him, and if they did, Lan Zhan was willing to bet Wei Ying had ignored them.
“And go where, Wei Ying?” He asked, knowing it was a dangerous question.
“Anywhere the Second Jade wishes,” Wei Ying said, standing with complete respectability, as if he wasn’t all but climbing on Lan Zhan in public a second ago.
Lan Zhan could have led him anywhere and Wei Ying would have trustingly followed. But Lan Zhan took him back to the Jingshi. He didn’t want to mess around and be caught, or rush, he wanted to take his time. Their moments together had lessened now that Wei Ying had found others things to call his attention, and Lan Zhan worried at times that he might now be second place to archery. Of course Wei Ying would always seek him at night, but sneaking away midday was always best. Wei Ying was incorrigible and Lan Zhan no better at this point.
“Don’t rip my robes Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying chastised him, as Lan Zhan pulled them from his shoulders with force. “I like these.”
“I’ll get you new ones.”
“Tsk Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said as he was carried towards the bed. “You scold me for taking things that aren’t mine, but you waste your money.”
His words were cut short as he hit the mattress, with Lan Zhan climbing up him between his legs seconds later.
“I’ll spend all my money on you,” Lan Zhan promised. “Every last coin.”
“They say you’ve gone crazy,” Wei Ying chided, allowing Lan Zhan to remove what remained of his clothes. “Lost your mind.”
“Let them talk,” Lan Zhan said, not rising to the bait. “Now turn over and be quiet.”
Wei Ying’s eyes brightened and he allowed himself to be flipped onto his stomach. He loved it when Lan Zhan was rough with him. Pushing him around, tying him up, pulling and yanking on his ears and his tails. It made him feel wanted, alive, more than just a troublesome huli jing.
“I’ll bite you Lan Zhan, if you dare think about sticking that in me. I swear it. I’ll bite your tongue out of your head,” Wei Ying told him, with a snarl of his teeth. Knowing their game had begun, and Lan Zhan really was in the mood to play today.
“I said be quiet,” Lan Zhan told him, hurrying to free his dick from the many layers of his robes. He’d been in too much of a hurry to undress.
Wei Ying was already wet, without being touched, and that hole that enveloped Lan Zhan daily was waiting to be breeched. Wei Ying was constantly ready for his cock, anytime anywhere, just as he’d promised it would be. Just as a huli jing from the erotic stories was supposed to be.
Lan Zhan had developed fantasies over the past few months, of snatching Wei Ying, a poor defenseless huli jing from his home in the woods. Dragging him back to his den and claiming him. Wrecking him for all others. Wei Ying indulged him in this endlessly. Screaming and begging for mercy, suffering the Lan silencing spell as he was marched through the sect and into the Jingshi. Letting himself be gagged, bound, thrown around. Lan Zhan knew Wei Ying’s tastes ran towards the animalistic, rutting for hours, licking and sucking at him, tasting every part of him. He bit and he clawed, faught and hissed, and he gave in, melted and submitted in bliss once Lan Zhan’s cock made its way inside.
One of Wei Ying’s favorite games was to pretend to be a war prize and negotiate his terms. It always ended with Wei Ying selling his body for his life, and with Lan Zhan mercilessly fucking him to make good on the deal. Wei Ying would cry and beg for Lan Zhan to let him go and Lan Zhan would shove his fingers in Wei Ying’s mouth to make him be silent.
“You can’t tame me Lan Zhan, I’ll slash your neck while you sleep,” Wei Ying threatened.
Lan Zhan paused, that was a new one.
“A little dark Wei Ying,” he said, before pressing one finger roughly inside him. With his other hand he pulled on the root of a few tails, making Wei Ying jolt.
“Too much?” Wei Ying asked, looking back, then crying out. “No no, not enough! Just put it in already, can’t you see I’m ready. Stop messing around Lan Zhan.”
“A huli jing was made to serve their master,” Lan Zhan said, watching his finger slipping in and out of Wei Ying. “You will wait.”
“I’ll serve, just put it in!” Wei Ying hissed, then immediately afterwards changed his mind, as Lan Zhan’s cock slid in to the hilt. “No no, take it out! Take it out! It’s too big. You’re so cruel, shoving it in, no warning, nothing. You’re a bully, making me take that thing. It ought to be banned. No dick like that should exist. Let alone be here to torture me.”
Lan Zhan let him run his mouth. Listening to his whining and his begging like forbidden sweet fruit, dripping down his throat. It was heavenly, perfect, and it didn’t take long for Wei Ying to be scrabbling under him, clutching at whatever he could reach as he came. Lan Zhan let himself come too, the burning hot of his seed deep inside Wei Ying.
Wei Ying was panting under him, and Lan Zhan lay down gently along his back for a moment.
“I love you Wei Ying.”
***
Wei Hing was feeling happy. Lan Zhan had let him fool around all morning. He was pretty sure that if he hadn’t been faithfully taking the medicine, he would have been carrying a baby by now. Lan Zhan was an excellent mate, and practiced very hard, and everyday Wei Ying was sure that when Lan Zhan was ready, they would have many babies.
He could sense Lan Zhan now, his heartbeat was calm, his mind at ease and Wei Ying knew he had little to fear. Lan Zhan was such a capable mate, that it left Wei Ying free to explore and indulge in his adventures, knowing he could leave him to fend for himself.
A sound of a footfall behind him made his ears twitch in that direction and he turned around. A young man in pale robes stood in the tree line, surrounded by a few others. The man had a thunderous expression on his face, but his friends looked less confident. They at least didn’t look angry, just the one in the front was clearly cross with him. Wei Ying knew him as Su She.
“Good afternoon,” Wei Ying said, once the silence dragged. “Have you come to fish?”
Wei Ying stood with his back to the river, with his tails waving softly side to side. Some of the boys watched those tails with admiration, or even with some more interested expressions. But not Su She, who continued to stand in the front of the group, with the same disgusted expression.
“If there is anything left in the river after you’ve been at the fish. Have you murdered everything here too? Not content with the chickens?” Su She taunted, taking a few steps forwards. “Or did Lan Wangji finally have enough of your slut ways and throw you out?”
Wei Ying flinched at the unkind and unexpected words.
“What are you talking about? Lan Zhan would never…”
“Maybe you"re out here hoping to catch another sponsor? Isn’t that what you huli jings do? Destroy people? Seduce everyone?”
Su She only paused in his advancement when a small dragon scuttled over a rock, and turned to look at him. Lan Xichen’s dragon had appeared out of nowhere, and Su She gave it a suspicious look.
“You were never meant to be pulled out of the well,” he continued meanly. “It was a mistake . Lan Wangji never sent you back because, well, you’re useful aren’t you… in the bedroom.”
Wei Ying felt his heart sink a little.
“We all wanted him to send you back… but I guess the Second Jade wanted to fuck a huli jing. See how he hasn’t given you a position here. You’re just a thing to him.”
Wei Ying felt his blood turning hot with anger and his senses sharpen. He was in danger, his enemy had revealed himself and suddenly a lot of his recent bad luck made more sense.
“That’s not true. You’re lying,” Wei Ying said.
Su She looked at the water and back at Wei Ying. It seemed a thought had drifted through his head.
“I heard you can’t swim,” he said, before shoving Wei Ying hard towards the water.
Wei Ying felt himself fall backwards, and in his panic exploded into his energy form, zipping through Su She’s legs and returning the shove with a hard blow to his back. Su She fell into the river with a heavy splash. Wei Ying hovered for a second, before his attacker started climbing out and frantically waving his sword.
“I’ll kill you you huli jing devil!” He shouted, before suddenly screaming as Lan Xichen’s dragon launched itself and sunk its teeth into his rear. The dragon was unceremoniously flung into the river, only to rise seconds later as a ball of blue light, barrelling into Wei Ying and pulling him away.
The two balls of energy flew into the library, slamming the doors behind them, and startling the students inside. They zipped inside the rows of books and dimmed their lights small. They stayed that way until the books were lifted, and both Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen looked down on them.
Both spirits shot upwards and into the hearts of their respective humans, seeking shelter and shivering. The Twin Jades looked at one other with alarm, having been summoned here urgently and still having no idea what had happened.
“Wei Ying won’t you come out now?” Lan Zhan asked, after they’d spent three hours in the Hanshi, waiting for either spirit to make a reappearance.
No. If I come out, you might send me away.
“Send you away?” Lan Zhan asked. He saw his brother look at him with hope. If Wei Ying was talking, maybe the worst had now passed.
Yes, send me back down the well. I know you never wanted me here. Then you mated with me and refused to make a baby.
Lan Zhan felt as if he’d just fallen down the well himself, into absolute insanity. How could Wei Ying say such nonsense? Why was he so upset?
“Wei Ying, who has said this to you?”
You’re not even denying it!
“Wei Ying, you’re in my heart. Can’t you see what’s in there?” Lan Zhan asked gently. He could feel Wei Ying’s upset against his own anxiety, and felt Wei Ying shift around behind his ribs. “Come out.”
The fizzing sparking ball of black and red light slowly emerged from Lan Zhan’s chest, and hovered gingerly in front of him. Then in a blink, Wei Ying was kneeling on the floor looking red eyed.
“I want to know who has been talking to you,” Lan Zhan said again, this time in a tone that was in no doubt an order.
Wei Ying didn’t feel like being vague about it, and revealed everything.
“That one that doesn’t like me. Su She. He tricked me into that spirit catching net and then he tried to push me into the river. He tried to slice me with his sword after he fell in the water, but the dragon bit him.”
Lan Xichen’s dragon emerged as a light then plopped onto his lap looking sheepish. He picked it up tenderly.
“I think we need to inform our uncle and sort this once and for all,” Lan Xichen said, looking from Wangji to Wei Ying. “I’ll send word to you when we are ready to speak Wangji.”
He left and Wei Ying felt a tear escape him.
“You won’t send me back will you?” He asked.
Lan Zhan seized him with force, holding him tight and whispering, “Never. Never.”
Wei Ying held Lan Zhan tightly in return. The thought of being returnable had scared him. He didn’t want to spend eternity under the mountain having tasted this freedom and this love, he would rather have been reduced to nothing but ashes than spend forever alone.
“I will never give you up Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, feeling pain deep in his soul that Wei Ying should even dare to think such a thing. The reoccurring thought that had kept bouncing to the surface of his mind, returned loud and insistent. It might not have been the best time, but he couldn’t delay it any more. “Marry me?”
Wei Ying stared at him in silence for a while.
“What?” He asked at length.
“Marry me?” Lan Zhan repeated.
Wei Ying scoffed. And Lan Zhan shrank back a little. Was his request so very stupid to Wei Ying?
“People don’t actually marry huli jings Lan Zhan. It’s not part of our custom… I mean, it’s not necessary,” Wei Ying said. “I’ll stay with you regardless. For however long you want me.”
Lan Zhan felt himself relax. Wei Ying wasn’t saying no. He just didn’t understand.
“It’s part of my custom. The world needs to know who you are and that you’re mine,” Lan Zhan said. He’d hesitated enough. Trying to give Wei Ying space had just caused doubt and the opportunity for others to create trouble.
Wei Ying sat quietly for a moment, considering things.
“Then of course Lan Zhan. I want to marry you!” He said enthusiastically, leaning close to be kissed.
***
“What do you mean he is harmless. That huli jing js always prancing about like a slut, bringing the reputation of the Could Recesses into disrepute,” Su She said, pointing an accusing finger at Wei Ying, who to Lan Zhan’s amusement, just looked at Su She like he was dirt.
His uncle was flustered with this situation. The word slut had likely caused him to feel faint. Still he remained stoic and straight backed. Standing before them all. To the side of him stood Lan Xichen.
“You have an issue with Wangji’s actions?” Lan Qiren asked of Su She.
“I have a problem with the huli jing trying to seduce us all and cause trouble,” Su She said, still sneering at Wei Ying.
Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen shared a look.
“I have seen no evidence of that,” Lan Xichen said.
Su She threw his hands up in annoyance.
“Just look at him!” He shouted. “How can you deny it!”
Wei Ying looked outraged at the suggestion, and all but shouted, “I haven’t done anything! I don’t want to seduce anyone. Especially not you!”
Su She ignored him and continued to speak to Lan Qiren.
“Are we supposed to just look away? Ignore him, when he’s all over the Second Jade?”
“There is no rule against being in love with your spirit-companion, which appears to be your accusation of my brother,” Lan Xichen said. He felt like rolling his eyes, or even slapping some sense into this boy. Su She had always been following at Wangji’s heels, nipping and being miserable. Were they really all gathered here due to jealousy?
“There is not,” Lan Qiren agreed. “Although I will agree some more discretion wouldn’t go amiss. But that is a discussion you need not concern yourself with Su She.”
“I have seen nothing that caused concern. And it is likely, considering wwx’s biological differences, that wwx is also showing extreme restraint,” Lan Xichen countered.
But this only seemed to fuel Su She’s anger.
“Extreme restraint? I’ve seen the huli jing touching him, licking him! In the middle of lectures! What kind of filth are we to be subjected to?” Su She demanded.
Lan Qiren looked mildly puzzled at that accusation.
“Licking him?” He repeated quietly, before his own anger seemed to trigger in an explosion of unexpected energy. “He is a huli jing, it’s what they do! You on the other hand are a grown man and should know how to control yourself! Jealousy is not tolerated in Cloud Recesses. Nor is the wilful injury of a spirit-companion. I shall deliberate on your punishment. But for now, you will remove yourself back to your quarters!”
Su She bowed low, and turned on his heel. He did not wait to be punished, but left the sect that evening and disappeared.
“Huli jing?” Lan Qiren said with clear visible effort at being calm again. “Don’t make me regret my defense of you… and no more licking my nephew.”
“In public,” Lan Xichen clarified quietly, earning himself a horrified look from Lan Qiren, before the older man stormed away.
“Xichen I want to marry Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said immediately after their uncle’s departure.
“Certainly,” Lan Xichen said, as if they were discussing the weather. “Pick an auspicious day Wangji. It will be a big occasion.”
Two Years Later
Lan Zhan was back in the library.
“How can I help you?” The kind librarian asked.
“I need to know how long a huli jing pregnancy lasts…” Lan Zhan said, feeling himself blush.
“And your lack of knowledge continues to astound me,” the man said, grinning at his own joke. “But right you are, Second Young Master Lan. Take a seat. And congratulations.”
End.