" Wangji. If you hope to sway the elders, you cannot do it from Qinghe. You must return to Cloud Recesses."
A slightly familiar voice woke Wei Wuxian from where he was sleeping, coming from the hallway outside the medical ward room.
" Wei Ying is still recovering."
That was definitely Lan Zhan's voice. Wei Wuxian opened his eyes. He was alone in the room, the light slanting in the window at an angle that meant it was nearing evening.
" He is safe in the Unclean Realm. Mingjjue will not let anything happen to him. From what I understand from Wen Guniang, he is nearly recovered."
There was a longer silence there, and Wei Wuxian carefully levered himself from the bed. He was feeling better. He might not be up for full on sword fighting yet, but he certainly was well enough that Lan Wangji didn't need to waste his time here if his sect needed him.
Wei Ying stood and walked over to the door, pulling it open to find Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji standing just outside it. From a casual observer's perspective, both brothers appeared as serene and collected as always. But Wei Wuxian had been in Lan Wangji's presence enough to recognize the stubborn set to his jaw. Intervention appeared to be required.
"Lan Zhan! Zewu Jun! Were you coming to say goodbye before you left?" Wei Wuxian asked cheerfully. He gestured to allow them entry to the sick ward, as though it were his own private quarters. "I'd offer you tea, but all I have currently is the medicine that Wen Qing brews me, and - trust me - you would rather die of thirst than drink it."
Lan Xichen smiled gently, clearly aware of the message Wei Wuxian was trying to send.
"No need, Wei Gongzi. We did not mean to disturb your rest," Lan Xichen replied. "I was just discussing with Wangji as to when he would be returning to Cloud Recesses."
"Wei Ying. You should be resting," Lan Wangji said, ignoring his brother's words.
"Ah, Lan Zhan! I've been sleeping for days. Between you and Wen Qing, I'm almost fully healed!" Wei Wuxian noticed the slightly surprised side-eye that Lan Xichen gave at the comment, but he pushed ahead. "You should return to your duties with your brother. There is still so much to be settled in the meetings now that the war is over. You don't want to leave it all on your brother's shoulders."
Lan Wangjji's lips tensed in a way that made it clear he was Not Pleased. Lan Xichen cast Wei Wuxian a grateful look and turned to his brother.
"Wei Gongzi is wise. Wangji, there is much to be sorted out at home. You will be much more likely to turn the outcome in your favor if you participate in the process."
After a heavy moment, Lan Wangji relented, giving his brother a short nod.
"Wei Ying will remain here?" Lan Wangji asked.
Wei Wuxian had a feeling that his answer would determine whether Lan Wangji actually left the Unclean Realms without physical intervention, so he decided to interpret 'here' in the broadest possible sense.
"Where else would I go? I have A-Yuan with me, and I'm basically banished from all the other major sects."
Lan Wangji''s eyes narrowed, and Wei Wuxian knew that he had noticed the dodge.
"Wei Ying."
"Lan Zhan. I'm fine. I can't promise to stay in the sick room because no one would believe that."
"Wei Ying is not yet recovered," Lan Wangji said intently, stepping forward firmly into Wei Wuxian's space. Back at Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian had constantly faced the anger of Lan Wangji by sitting too close, or brushing against his sleeve. Yet here Lan Wangji was, only inches from Wei Wuxian, well past the personal space boundaries he'd always adhered to so rigidly. During the war, they'd had to share physical space out of necessity, but only out of necessity.
"Lan Zhan, " Wei Wuxian said, taking a step back and glancing over at Lan Xichen, who also looked puzzled. "
"Tell me where you go if you leave." It was not a request, and the bold demand seemed as out of character to Wei Wuxian as the way that Lan Wangji had initiated physical proximity. What had gotten into Lan Wangji? But then the words clicked.
Ah. Wei Wuxian should have known that his earlier taunt about Lan Zhan not being able to find him if Wei Wuxian chose to disappear would come back to bite him in the ass. The demand was still a little odd, but they'd been rivals in the past, and Wei Wuxian did have a habit of doing things like inventing an entirely new form of forbidden cultivation when he disappeared from sight. Part of him felt like he should resent being asked to report his location like a subordinate, but the expression on Lan Wangji's face wasn't one of arrogance or suspicion.
And if Wei Wuxian harbored a secret hope that he might run into Lan Wangji on a night hunt or two like they had in the past, then no one had to know about it. Obviously, Lan Wangji would not have much time to do such things, having to take up duties with his sect as the post war politics played out. But there didn't seem to be a risk in letting him know where he was, given all Wei Wuxian planned on doing was night hunting or maybe visiting Lotus Pier, at some point, once things stabilized.
"I'll let Nie Mingjue know when I come and go. If you need me for something, you will be able to find me. As long as it's not to drag me back to your sect elders for violating their rules."
Wei Wuxian was only half joking with the second part. He knew that Lan Wangji would defend him, but - in the end - Lan Wangji had always been the number one follower of his sect's rules and his elders' edicts. There was a reason he had been head of discipline when he was younger. Wei Wuxian didn't know what Lan Wangji would do if his elders ordered him to bring Wei Wuxian back for punishment, but he did not want to put the man in the position of choosing between his friendship with Wei Wuxian and his loyalty to the Lan sect. It was clear which one Lan Wangji would choose, but Wei Wuxian knew it would be hard on the man.
Lan Wangji was studying his face, and Wei Wuxian wondered what he read from it. Whatever it was, Lan Wangji did not look happy.
"Wangji. They are expecting us." Lan Xichen's voice had a warning note in it that Wei Wuxian was not sure was directed at the conversation they were currently having or just a reminder that they were already very delayed and had duties to attend to.
Lan Wangji held Wei Wuxian's gaze for an extended moment, looking like he was going to say something. In the end, whatever words Lan Wangji had been wanting to say could not make it past his lips, and he turned and left with his brother.
Wei Wuxian watched them gracefully sweep from the room, feeling unsettled and on edge, as though something had almost happened but then, somehow, hadn't.
Wei Wuxian spent the next two days wandering around the Unclean Realm looking for things to do that didn't utterly exhaust him, avoiding Wen Qing's needles and playing with A-Yuan. He also spent much of his time trying to avoid any and all thoughts relating to the contents of the book that Wen Qing had left by the bed in the guest room he had been moved to after being cleared to leave the medical ward.
His face heated in embarrassment just remembering the page on dual cultivation that Wen Qing had left the marker in the book for him to read that morning. Evidently, everyone in the sickroom had been aware of what Wei Wuxian's being 'tuned' to Lan Wangji had meant, except for Wei Wuxian himself.
While dual cultivation is often practiced by cultivators, it does not always show the dramatic impact on cultivation prowess nor longevity that is discussed in theoretical cases. As mentioned above, the balance of qi between the two partners would need to be equal for maximum benefit. However, there are many lower level cultivators where this criteria is met, and still, few achieve more than a small to moderate increase in power and longevity.
One explanation is that our bodies put up barriers to intrusion from outside ourselves, the way a scab and then a scar forms following an intrusion of a foreign object into the flesh, making it harder for future entry. With spiritual pathways, the same could be true, allowing an initial full exchange of qi, but diminishing returns over time as the cultivator's spiritual pathways become more resistant to absorbing the foreign qi over time.
In the extremely rare cases where this does not occur, and larger increases in cultivation power are observed, or in the theoretical case of cultivating to immortality through dual cultivation, it would require at least one of the cultivators to be 'tuned' to the other, where they recognize their partner's qi as they do their own, with no barriers.
Some speculate that this could be possible only between true soul mates, where the spirits themselves are tied and the qi of one would recognize the qi of the other as its own. Others suggest that it could be one-sided, if the receiving person has full and absolute trust and belief in belonging to the other, or the other belonging to them, on a soul-deep level. They would have to be open to accepting that person's qi completely, with no physical, emotional, mental, nor spiritual resistance to the other's presence in their bodies.
This would manifest not only in the ability of their cultivation partner to greatly enhance both their spiritual pathways and core development, but also could result in wound healing as the body recognizes their partner's qi as it would their own on a physical level and not just a spiritual one. A cultivator who is tuned to another cultivator has fully opened themselves to that person, on all levels, in a way that could be considered a soul bond.
The tremendous theoretical benefits of having such a cultivation partner are weighted by the low probability of the existence of such matches. This healer has never observed it, directly, and therefore is skeptical of its basis in fact.
Wei Wuxian remembered the way Lan Wangji's ears had burned red when Wen Qing had mentioned it. If Lan Wangji associated it with soul mates or words like 'belonging to' another, then it was a wonder the man hadn't stormed out of the room. He certainly would have when they were younger. Wei Wuxian breathed out an embarrassed laugh as he remembered the cold fury that Lan Wangji had expressed in the past when Wei Wuxian had called him beautiful or complimented him on his prowess with the blade or his studies. But he supposed that war put everything in perspective, and Lan Wangji would not let such things bother him like he had before.
At the time, Wei Wuxian had been annoyed that everyone was dancing around the implication of Wen Qing's words, but - now that he understood - he was glad that they had not forced the conversation right in front of his sister and Lan Wangji. At least Jiang Cheng hadn't been there.
He had teased Wei Wuxian mercilessly back in Cloud Recesses about how much he was always talking about Lan Wangji, admiring his strength, his looks, his skills, his… everything. Wei Wuxian still firmly believed that most people admired the pristine Second Jade of GusuLan as much as he did and were just quieter about it. After all, Lan Wangji was ranked second on the list of most eligible bachelors for male cultivators. Clearly Wei Wuxian was not the only one who noticed his skills.
Except, evidently , he was the only one who admired Lan Wangji so much that his body accepted the man's qi with complete trust and acceptance on a fucking spiritual level. He felt his face heat again in embarrassment at being betrayed by his own body like that.
Wei Wuxian wondered if maybe multiple people would be tuned in the same way to Lan Wangji. It was clear that it was not a common phenomena, so it wasn't like people knew for sure. And if it was - at its core - a matter of trust, well… who wouldn't trust Lan Zhan absolutely? Was Wei Wuxian's response really that strange? Lan Wangji was the most honorable person that Wei Wuxian knew, and he suspected that anyone who had fought beside Hanguang-Jun for any amount of time would react the same. The healer who had written the book had never had the chance to observe it directly, so it wasn't like anyone would know for sure how it worked. After all, it wasn't like there were a lot of Hanguang-Juns in the world. Maybe everyone would react this way, if given the chance to be healed by Hanguang-Jun.
He said as much to Wen Qing when he returned her book to her. She had given him a scathing look and then turned and left the room without a word. Wei Wuxian hadn't seen her since, but he hadn't actually been looking.
It was the following day and Wei Wuxian was sitting outside in the courtyard, watching A-Yuan play with one of the smaller, wooden practice blades that the younger Nie disciples used. He was still too small to carry it properly, but he was enjoying jumping around and shouting battle cries. The boy had been inseparable from him, even sleeping in his bed at night. Wei Wuxian didn't mind. He remembered the ceaseless terror when he'd first arrived at the Jiang's that everything would disappear if he wasn't vigilant enough, and he'd find himself back on the streets, hungry and afraid and alone. He had been only slightly older than A-Yuan at the time.
He hoped he would be able to help A-Yuan move past that fear better than he himself had ever managed to do.
So he didn't mind sitting in the courtyard and watching A-Yuan play rather than handing the child off to a servant to babysit. Wei Wuxian was banned from practicing sword forms until Wen Qing cleared him, and - since he was currently avoiding her - it was unclear when that would change. Wei Wuxian sensed a motion from the corner of his eye, and turned to see Jiang Yanli walking towards him from the far side of the courtyard.
"Shijie!" he called out, waving to her. A-Yuan didn't even take notice, so caught up in the imaginary battle he was fighting.
"A-Xian," she returned, much more sedately but with a smile that was full of happiness to see him that more than made up for it.
She sat beside him, watching A-Yuan play with a gentle smile on her lips.
"He reminds me of you," Jiang Yanli said. "So full of energy, always in motion."
Wei Wuxian felt a surge of warmth, though he knew for a fact he'd been so much more poorly behaved than A-Yuan could ever be.
"Where have you been?" he asked, deflecting somewhat from the feelings that thinking of his childhood always brought. " I was looking for you just before lunch. A-Yuan and I had a picnic in the yards and we were going to invite you."
Jiang Yanli's eyes lit up.
"Oh, I would have loved to. I'm sorry I missed it. Zixuan came to bring news to Sect Leader Nie, and I was with them for most of the morning and through lunch. We will have to do it again another time when I can join."
The thought of his sister spending time with the Peacock didn't make him as angry as it used to. It was hard to hold a grudge against a man who gave up (at least temporarily) his entire birth right to protect her. But Wei Wuxian had appearances to maintain, so he offered his sister a grumpy pout and grumbled.
"Yeah. He had to see Sect Leader Nie? Sure. He's the head of the Jin and he can't afford a messenger to carry his news and has to deliver it in person? I think we both know who he really came to see."
Jiang Yanli blushed prettily, but she didn't deny it.
"Zixuan said he is making progress in weeding out the Jin who are still loyal to his father. Luo Qinyang has been leading the efforts. Zewu-Jun has asked Hanguang-Jun to coordinate with her to understand the Lan involvement."
Wei Wuxian nodded thoughtfully. "Mianmian is a good choice. She's smart and firmly on the Peacock's side."
He felt relief that the corruption inside the Jin sect was being taken head-on. He knew it was only a matter of time before Jiang Yanli was married into the sect and living in Koi Tower. He'd feel a lot better if Mianmian and Lan Wangji were leading the charge on taking out whoever was responsible for the attack on her, and who was still loyal to Jin Guangshan in general.
"I had thought that Zewu-Jun didn't want Lan Zhan involved in the investigation," Wei Wuxian said, remembering the initial conversation where Lan Wangji had seemed ready to personally hunt Su She down to mete out justice.
"Something must have changed his mind," Jiang Yanli shrugged gracefully. The internal workings of the Lan sect were not their business.
Wei Wuxian didn't know Zewu-Jun well, but the man had a reputation for being thoughtful but firm in his decisions. That had certainly been Wei Wuxian's experience with him, so he wondered a bit at the change. But there was a happy glow about his sister that was clear in the afternoon sunlight, and Wei Wuxian decided to investigate that instead of pondering questions he would likely never get answers to.
"So you spent the morning with the Peacock. I'm guessing it wasn't all about sect investigations and post-war politics? "
Jiang Yanli blushed again slightly, but did not bother to lie. "No. Zixuan has formally asked Jiang Cheng to renew our betrothal as part of the efforts to strengthen alliances now that the war is over."
"You're not just some political bargaining chip!" Wei Wuxian said, feeling his temper flare darkly. If Jiang Cheng or that asshole Jin Peacock thought that Shijie was just -
"A-Xian. Calm down. It's ok," Jiang Yanli's soft voice penetrated the dark anger that was bubbling inside him. She laid a gentle hand on his forearm. "Zixuan isn't viewing me as that. He stood against his father and his entire sect for me."
Wei Wuxian drew a slow, calming breath. That was true. He had seen it with his own eyes. The anger inside him slowly faded away like mist.
"He wasn't trying to pressure you into moving to Koi Tower sooner, was he?"
"No," Jiang Yanli gave a soft smile. "He wants to make sure it's safe. He was very grateful that Wen Guniang had taken me on for training. He said…," Jiang Yanli's blush deepened. "He said he cares very much for my safety."
"As he should," Wei Wuxian said staunchly. There was no denying how happy Jin Zixuan's obvious concern for her wellbeing made her. Wei Wuxian smiled at his sister's joy. "Just as long as he admits what he really feels for you, and treats you accordingly. He'd better worship the ground you walk on."
Jiang Yanli laid a delicate hand on his cheek. "He does. He made his feelings very clear. He will take good care of me."
Something in the blush on his sister's face caught Wei Wuxian's attention.
"He better not have made it too clear. He has to be respectful to my Shijie, or he'll answer to me. Sect leader or no," Wei Wuxian grumbled, but there was no real heat nor threat in it. Jiang Yanli was positively glowing with happiness. It was all he and Jiang Cheng had ever wanted for her.
"Speaking of feelings," Jiang Yanli began, her eyes taking on the light of mischief that she used to get when they would play as children. "I understand that Wen Guniang left you a textbook yesterday."
Wei Wuxian groaned, letting his head fall back. "Shijie is so mean! I can't believe you're bringing that up."
Jiang Yanli looked at him, her soft eyes full of amusement but also a bit of confusion.
"I know that my XianXian has always been more interested in fighting monsters and inventing talismans, but aren't you even just a little bit happy? Finding your soulmate is so rare."
"We're not soulmates!" Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Yanli's eyes widened in surprise, and Wei Wuxian rushed on to explain.
"The book. It said that soul mates are just one theory . It can also be a sign of complete openness and trust to the other person."
Jiang Yanli frowned.
"But that level of trust, to have your body react to their qi as if it were your own, surely that is not something that can happen outside of a soul bond?"
Wei Wuxian felt panic and adrenaline racing through him, along with a type of confused anxiousness that he didn't really understand.
"Lan Zhan and I have a bond. We've battled two legendary creatures together, with the Tortoise of Slaughter and then the Xiangliu . He was by my side during the war. He has healed me numerous times. It makes sense that I would trust him, that my body would recognize his qi as… as safe, or whatever."
Jiang Yanli seemed thoughtful, but also somewhat skeptical.
"But it's more than that, isn't it? I mean, I remember when you were in Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji was all you would talk about. You seemed… well. You seemed interested in him."
"Well, yeah! I mean, who wouldn't be! He was the first person my age I'd ever met who could match me with the sword or in the classroom. Lan Zhan is amazing! Of course I was interested in him!"
Jiang Yanlie bit her lip, seeming to hesitate, but then she straightened her spine and pushed on. "A-Xian. I mean interested as in romantically ."
Wei Wuxian's mind briefly blanked in shock, then he laughed.
"Romantically? With Lan Zhan? Shijie, he hated me. I was constantly annoying him and I was doing it on purpose just to get a reaction from him. I wasn't writing him poetry or sending him flowers."
Except, Wei Wuxian remembered suddenly, he sort of had. But it had all been in jest. He just… he had just been teasing Lan Wangji. Because it made the icy Second Jade so mad, and made him stop ignoring Wei Wuxian. Nothing else ever got a reaction out of him. Wei Wuxian would watch Lan Wangji's face so closely every time he sent a paperman his way or draped an arm across the rigid, white-robed shoulders to see even the tiniest way Lan Wangji's ears would blush or his eyes would narrow.
He pulled himself out of his reveries to see his sister watching him closely.
"You've seen me flirt with all the pretty sisters in the markets at Lotus Pier. I never did anything like that with Lan Zhan."
Jiang Yanli waved her hand dismissively.
"A-Xian was never serious when he was flirting with the girls. You just liked to see them blush and smile, and they went through the rest of their day feeling happy to have been noticed by someone as handsome as my little brother. But it never meant anything."
Wei Wuxian had to look away from the penetrating gaze of his sister, so he turned to watch A-Yuan, who had - at some point - stopped his imaginary battle and was now crouched down and talking to what looked to be some sort of green caterpillar that was inching its way across the stone courtyard.
People always underestimated Jiang Yanli, thinking of her as the 'least' of the Jiang children. The least powerful, the least strong, the least intimidating.
They were all fools. Jiang Yanli could see through people like no one else. Her power might not lay in cultivation, but it was no less potent.
It was true that Wei Wuxian never really felt any desire to follow through on the casual flirting he engaged in like breathing. It was just for fun, to bring a little lightness into a harsh reality. Sometimes, the girls he flirted with would flirt back, even offering to meet somewhere later, but Wei Wuxian had always just smiled and said he would never take advantage. He had never really been tempted. He had never flirted with intent . It just… was never something he was interested in or thought particularly about.
But that didn't mean that he had been flirting with Lan Zhan, either. He had just… he had just been trying to provoke him. It wasn't flirting. Wie Wuxian was very sure that it hadn't been flirting.
"I'm not trying to upset you, A-Xian," Jiang Yanli said gently.
Wei Wuxian couldn't quite turn to look at her, but he pasted on one of his best smiles.
"No! Shijie, you're not upsetting me. I just… you just are asking me a question. It's fine, but that's not what it was. I admire Lan Zhan, and I love night hunting with him. And I trust him, but so does everyone. He's the most reputable cultivator I know, and everyone agrees. That doesn't make us soulmates. I think most people feel that way about him. I'm just louder about it. Plus, I'm pretty sure that soul mates are supposed to be mutual, and I know he doesn't feel anything like that for me."
Jiang Yanli was silent for a moment. Wei Wuxian could see her pursing her lips in his peripheral vision, trying to choose her words carefully, like she did when they were children and Wei Wuxian was not understanding something about the world and she was trying to find the best way of phrasing it.
"I think that Hanguang-Jun is a man who does not show his emotions easily. So we cannot say what he does or does not feel right now. But what about you? A-Xian, have you really, honestly never felt anything but friendship towards him? You seemed to want to be near him a lot. More than you do with other people."
Wei Wuxian would not have answered this question from anyone other than his Shijie, but he owed it to her to take the question seriously.
"I don't… think so? I mean, yeah, I want to be near him. As soon as I met him, I wanted to be his best friend. I liked the challenge of sparring with him, and having someone who could compete with me. And later, when we were fighting the Slaughter Tortoise together, he was amazing. On a night hunt, I always know I can trust him, not just because he is so strong but also... He just is so steadfast . He's not going to panic or do something stupid. But I think anyone would want to night hunt with him. And he holds himself so still, so contained all the time. It's fun to try to see what would make him crack, what would make him react somehow. So I pester him. Who wouldn't want to make him react? Who wouldn't want to be near him? I think probably everyone does. I'm just the only one shameless enough to actually do it."
Jiang Yanli let out a small laugh.
"Oh, A-Xian. I admire Hanguang-Jun very much, but I have no urges at all to stand close to him, or get his attention to make him react. I am grateful for the work he does, and admire his cultivation levels, but in the same way I do his brother, or Red Blade Master."
Wei Wuxian tore his gaze from A-Yuan and looked at his sister in surprise. He couldn't understand anyone finding Red Blade Master or Zewu Jun nearly as interesting as Lan Zhan. It didn't really make sense to him. Lan Zhan was… was… so much more fun to tease and… something else. Lan Zhan was just more. Even if Zewu-Jun outranked him on that stupid list, or Red Blade Master was thought to be more powerful. Lan Zhan was just...
"Hm," was all Wei Wuxian could say.
"A-Xian," Jiang Yanli said gently. "I know we have never discussed this. And I doubt Mother or Father have ever spoken to you of it. But have you never thought of, ah,-," she cut off, drawing a slightly embarrassed breath before pushing ahead. "Have you ever thought about things like kissing Lan Wangji?"
Wei Wuxian's face felt like it was on fire.
"No! Oh, my god, Shijie, how can you even say something like that!"
Wei Wuxian was on much more solid ground now. He had never even once thought about kissing Lan Zhan.
"Lan Zhan isn't like that! He's too pure and good. There are whole sets of rules in the Lan sect about not doing that sort of thing. No one should be thinking about him that way!"
Jiang Yanli blinked, and seemed at a bit of a loss.
"A-Xian. Lan Wangji is, indeed, a very good man. But he is still a man, of flesh and blood. And it would be only natural to-"
" No . Really, Shijie just… no. It's not like that." Wei Wuxian cut her off, feeling like somehow the entire conversation had gone into an alien realm where nothing made any sense.
He was absolutely not going to have the sex talk with his sister involving Lan Wangji. Just. No. His skin felt hot and three sizes too small for his body and his insides were twisting in a way that made him feel light-headed. He had grown up under the shadow of a war that had been looming. Sure, he'd read some of Nie Huaisang's spring books, because everyone did and he didn't want to be ignorant about a topic that others often discussed, but it was never something he felt was particularly relevant to his life.
Wei Wuxian was a weapon, being sharpened for an upcoming war. His duty was to the Jiang, to be their blade and protect Lotus Pier and Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. He had planned to grow up to be Jiang Cheng's right hand man. He was the son of a servant, not the heir to a sect. Everything he had he owed to the Jiangs.
The idea of romance or marriage really didn't even occur to him. That was for other people, like Shijie. Not for Wei Wuxian. Even when he'd been banished and his future plans were wiped clean, he just… hadn't thought about it.
Kissing Lan Zhan?
Wei Wuxian tried to blank the image that the words evoked from his mind. It wasn't that it was repulsive or anything but it just.. That was not something he should be thinking about.
Kissing Lan Zhan.
Wei Wuxian definitely needed to stop picturing it. Lan Zhan was too pure and too good for anyone to be sullying him with those kinds of carnal thoughts.
No.
He drew a slow breath, trying to banish the image. But Wei Wuxian's brain had never been good about things that were supposed to be 'off limits'. It had gotten him into trouble a lot when he was a child, and his mental discipline had not improved with age.
He was vaguely aware of his sister sitting calmly beside him as he went through an existential crisis.
He would not think about kissing Lan Zhan.
He would not think about how soft Lan Zhan's lips always looked, so pink and smooth and perfectly still.
No. He was not thinking about it.
A'Yuan called to him from across the yard and began running over. Wei Wuxian heaved a sigh of gratitude when A-Yuan ran up to show them his new caterpillar friend, and to enquire about snacks.
Jiang Yanli did not bring it up again, but he could feel her watching him. His sister was a wise woman. She knew that she had planted the seed in his mind, and now his mind was going to pick at it and pick at it until it sprouted into whatever fully developed set of thoughts it was meant to be.
If Wei Wuxian didn't love her so much, he would curse her for how well she knew him. She had set his whole world on end with a single conversation.
He couldn't wait to be allowed to go night hunting again. He needed to do something to burn off the nearly unbearable deluge of restless energy that was surging through his system at these wholly unwelcome thoughts.
The fact that the thought of night hunting made him think of night hunting with Lan Zhan did not help at all.