Pitched Normal

Part 25

"Jiang Cheng is going to be so angry with me Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whispered out, fingers intertwining, worry flooding him. It was perhaps not something he should tell the second jade, but it had left his mouth before he could catch himself. He grit his teeth somewhat agitated with himself, he did not know why it was so hard to keep up appearances with Lan Wangji. For some reason, though, it was, unbearably so. Wei Ying found himself slipping more and more the longer that he was around the jaded youth. For whatever possible cause he may have for it, some part of him felt relaxed and comfortable around Lan Wangji. Comfortable enough to say his given name, and to have Wangji use his in return. It was a level of intimacy that should make him horribly uncomfortable, but he found himself relishing in it. It was a bad thing, that he knew, but he also could not really help himself. 

Lan Wangji was just, he was a very comfortable person to be around. Wei Ying felt more on balance when he was with him, it was something he had never truly felt before, something that he cherished the feeling of because he knew that it was not going to last. Eventually, Lan Wangji would get tired of him. He would leave, which was upsetting in all reality. There was nothing more other than avoiding that he could do if he wanted to control his seemingly overly lax tongue, but in all reality, he found that he could not do that either. Something about Lan Zhan seemed to attract him like a moth to a flame. He could not help but not want to have to leave the other. He wanted to be near to him, wanted to be around him. It was a hopeless situation. One that he knew that he was unlikely to find the solution of. At least, not one that was suitable. 

"Broke rules. Face consequences," The words came clear and to the point. They were as hard as a diamond cut, unmoveable and unshakeable. Something about the way Lan Wangji talked really calmed him, it was ridiculous, he knew, but he just felt more...at ease. GusuLan was amazing like that. Perhaps it was all the pure energy, but Wei Ying did not really think that was necessarily the case. Either way, since coming to the Cloud Recesses, despite having angered Lan Qiren, and despite trying to do his best but his own restlessness really ruining that for him, he found himself probably the calmest, and the happiest, that he had been in a long while. He was dreading the day that he would have to leave. He was grateful that he had met Lan Wangji, and found that he did not want to leave him. 

"Right, right, right." Wei Ying nodded, assuring that he understood, but that was not the thing that worried Wei Ying. He gave Lan Wangji a wide smile either way. He understood Lan Wangji at least. To him, if the rules were broken, the consequences should be gracefully accepted. They had knowingly tarried past curfew, and there was no way that they would mange to catch up before the curfew was put into place. Meaning that they would likely have to go back to CaiYi town to set up for the night, or they would have stay outside the gates. 

Wei Ying found it somewhat ironic that the first night they had blamed him for their inability to get into the Cloud Recesses, and now Jiang Cheng was unable to get in all of his own accord. It was, hilarious, in its own right he supposed. It was not lost on him that Lan Wangji had already figured out that there was more to the situation than what he had stated. 

He knew that Lan Wangji knew something, he was just not sure exactly how much more that it was that he knew. He knew that there was something going on, he had been incredibly kind, and even allowed himself to be dragged to CaiYi with him, dealing with all of the ramblings of himself and dragging Lan Wangji around by the wrist, and not only that but concerned glances told a bigger story. He sighed, turning his eyes to the floor, casting them down. Lan Wangji definitely knew something and he would not be surprised if XiChen knew something too. 

He was well aware that the Jiang Clan treated him more as a slave than an adopted child, or even a ward, or refugee. Still, they had kept him from dying on the streets, which definitely had to account for something. He was sure that there were other clans that did the same. He knew that the Lan Sect definitely would not, but maybe the Jins? He knew what sort of horrid things that it was that their Sect Leader did and it was called 'under wraps'. Practically everyone in the martial world knew about his perverseness. It was not that he could say that the treatment was unusual, yet, he was used to it. He could handle it. He did not want Lan Wangji or XiChen to worry about him, yet for some reason, they were. 

It may be about his standing and the interactions between himself and the Jiang Clan, but he was not entirely sure that could be it. It had to be something else, there was no reason for them to be so concerned. Besides, all it would take is Madam Yu explaining that he was being displined and it was it. That he was a servant's son would also add to her case as well. He was a son of a servant, what was he to be but under the service of the Jiangs. 

He somewhat wished, that perhaps that would not have been the only reason that they took him in, but he knew better than to dwell on impossibilities. he was not naive. At least, not anymore, Madam Yu had made his position clear, and the interactions Yanli and Jiang Cheng had as well, well, it was obvious to him where his standing was. 

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan stopped, pausing momentarily before they got to his door. "I...W-Would you like to come to the library with me tomorrow?" Lan Zhan asked, his voice uncharacteristically rushed. 

Wei Ying, found everything inside of him lighting up. Sure he hated the library, but...Lan Zhan had actually asked to spend time with him. Something about that brought a smile to his face. 

"Sure," Enough that he would agree to go back to that cursed place.