Uncle's supervision

Chapter 4

"Wangji, I came to talk to you about how you treat your husband at night."

Lan Qiren sighed, this was just as awkward as he had though it would be. His nephew had yet to utter a single word and he was at a loss about how to breach the true topic of this conversation. He wanted to be subtle but apparently it would not work as he would like it to. He had only introduced the topic and Lan Wangji already looked like he would crawl out of his skin at any moment.

They were both very much out of depths at the moment, he was not sure he would be able to resolve what he came for. It had always been hard for him to connect to his younger nephew. He knew fully well that he had only himself to blame for that, he had after all failed to provide appropriate support and guidance when the boy's mother had died and for that reason, Lan Wangji had closed his heart to him and most of the world as well. It applied to nearly everyone, including Lan Qiren, the only exception had been for long years Lan Xichen, and Wei Wuxian as of late. His older nephew would have been so much easier to talk to, lamented internally Lan Qiren.

No matter, he tried to compose himself, he had to do this, both for the Gusu Lan sect's reputation – he really could not let it be known that his nephew was raised up to be a beast instead of the polished jade he had always thought of him as – and for Lan Wangji as well. He was sure that his nephew was worried about this as well; he had seen how attentive he was when it came to his husband and this must have surely been weighing heavily on him.

Not that Lan Qiren liked Wei Wuxian very much himself, he was in fact still trying to come to terms with the fact that the demonic cultivator was now part of his family. And not only a demonic cultivator without a golden core, but more importantly the son of Cangse Sanren. He could still vividly remember the days of his youth and how untamed Cangse Sanren had been. Though he was also son of the late Wei Changze which was the only relief.

He could see that if he was to speak ill of Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji would surely go through with his threat and leave the Cloud Recesses for good. That was not what Lan Qiren wanted. So he would try his best to find his way to at least accept his nephew's chosen cultivation partner.

Still, this was probably going a step too far for him. Nevertheless, he wanted dearly to help Lan Wangji to open up to him and also to resolve the matter between him and Wei Wuxian. It could not go on like this, they would both be unhappy in their relationship because it seemed like they did not talk about a lot of things, including their feelings and needs in bed. Or perhaps Lan Qiren was gravely mistaken about the source of his nephew's worries?

No, it was for this exact reason that Lan Wangji had looked stressed ever since coming back to the Cloud Recesses. Assisting him in taking care of the sect leader duties should not be anything new to him. It must be because he had been worried about his conduct and not because of taking over some of the sect leader duties. But why would he not come to consult Lan Qiren on the matter? Why would he remain silent about something which was troubling him?

No, in fact, Lan Qiren would have been more surprised if Lan Wangji actually came to talk to him. After all, had he ever listened to his nephew when he came to him for advice or with a plea? No, he never did. Not when Lan Wangji had tried to persuade him that Wei Wuxian had not been overcome by resentful energy and that he was instead controlling it. Not when he was trying to open his eyes about the matter of the Wen sect remnants so they could be saved instead of slaughtered. Not when had pleaded for the love of his life to not be killed and vouched for his innocence while defending him in the cave in the Burial Mounds. Not when he did not say a word and only silently suffered the harsh punishment dealt for opposing the elders for a righteous cause. No, Lan Qiren knew that he had lost all rights to his nephew's trust.

That was beside the point at the moment, he could not let himself be overcome by his feelings and regrets, he had a more important matters to discuss. They could tackle the topic of their mutual relationship once Lan Wangji would feel less stressed. It only hit Lan Qiren at that exact moment that perhaps this could also be the perfect opportunity to reconnect with his nephew and to show him he cared. If he was to help him resolve the situation between him and Wei Wuxian, surely Lan Wangji would be more willing and open to actually come to him again in the future.

He reached inside his sleeve where he had been hiding one of the books from the forbidden section of the Library Pavilion. He took it out, put it on the table and slid it towards Lan Wangji. His nephew's eyes became impossibly wide and for once, he looked a lot younger with his usually expressionless face fully blushing, his mouth half open.

Lan Qiren cleared his throat again, awkwardly, and continued where he had let off: "This can perhaps help you to learn to properly dual cultivate with your husband. I came to see that Wei Wuxian had been... indisposed since coming here and I think you should try to be more restrained during your activities. It is to say, please be mindful that he is not a cultivator anymore, you have to be more careful about how you treat him. It would not be convenient if he spends all his days in the Jingshi because he cannot walk properly. Also, I do not want the young disciples to see something they should not."

Well, finally, the cat was out of the bag and Lan Qiren looked at Lan Wangji, waiting for the other's reaction. Lan Wangji was only staring at the book, his face blank right now and Lan Qiren was not too sure if his nephew was actually still breathing. Only the ever present blush on his cheeks and his bright red ears made it known that he was at least still alive.

When nothing happened for several more minutes, Lan Qiren took it as a clue to leave his nephew to his musing and to combat the shock. He cleaned his throat again – he could not remember a time when he felt this embarrassed and awkward while talking to basically anyone at all – and excused himself: "Wangji, I will now leave you to your studies. I hope that you can take this to heart and that I will see Wei Wuxian fully recovered and ready to teach his classes in a matter of days."

Then, he all but run away to his quarters, hiding his embarrassment behind a scowl which made the younger disciples promptly change their way upon seeing him approach.