3rd Person POV
Lan Zhan hugged him tight before setting him back down to continue the proceedings. By the end, everyone was crying and happiness overcame all other emotions. After the wedding, there was a huge banquet laid out full of all Wei Ying's favourite foods. It was so perfect, he wouldn't change a thing. Lan Zhan really had spared no expense. How on earth had they prepared all this under his radar?
Once the meal finally ended after stretching way into the night, the two were alone in their room.
"Lan Zhan, thank you so so much! I love you so much! I'm so happy!" Exclaimed Wei Ying
"Mhn, I love you so much too."Responded his husband.
Husband. That one word held such importance. It tied them together, never to be separated. Lan Zhan truly loved him. Maybe there was good in this world after all.
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After another week, it was finally time for Lan Zhan to leave. Wei Ying of course was sad, but it was better than the previous time when Lan Zhan had left; this time Wei Ying knew he would come back, that he wouldn't be forgotten and they had established proper means of communication through some of Wei Ying's talismans. He reassured himself that if he ever needed assistance or felt lonely, Lan Zhan would do his best.
Parting, with hearts full and tears threatening to spill, Lan Zhan set out on his travels in an unbreakable sense of melancholy and annoyance. Why should he have to leave? But, he reasoned, he could hardly just tell everyone that he was married to Wei Ying and defect from his sect too. It would cause an uproar. His position was also advantageous for Wei Ying since it allowed his to keep contact with the other's siblings and report any important news back to him. He just wished Wei Ying could be with him in Gusu too.
Reaching Gusu, his gaze landed upon the familiar figure of his brother. He felt bad; the man looked tired and lonely with dark circles emerging below his eyes. He looked paler and gaunt but he hid it as best as possible under his facade of happiness and benevolence. The moral dilemma was killing Lan Zhan, which should he prioritise his husband and child or his brother. All were suffering and needed his presence and he was beginning to realise how lonely and misunderstood his brother was - always appeasing others and finding the silver lining but never receiving thanks or help himself.
"Wangji! You're back! How are you?" The mans eyes lit up seeing the younger's presence. And again that horrible feeling of guilt passed over both. Lan Zhan because he knew he couldn't solve Xichen's worries, and Xichen because he knew what he was pulling Lan Zhan away from.
Of course, he didn't know details but there were a few definite facts in his mind.
1. Lan Zhan loved Wei Ying
2. Lan Zhan would never leave or abandon Wei Ying
3. Only one man was capable of provoking so much emotion from Lan Zhan.
Putting these together with the excitement when he left and the moroseness of his return and the addition of factors such as his length of stay and sighted locations, made it obvious to Xichen where he was.
"Mhn. Fine. And you brother?"
'Tired, bored, lonely, stressed by the insane amount of work, about the relationship between the clans, concerned about whether I am making the right decisions...' But he didn't say that. He just said a simple, "Not too bad."
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Qiren was not happy. His favourite student was no longer such a good student - always distracted and becoming increasingly rebellious towards his teachings. Just the other day, Qiren had stumbled across Wangji creeping about by the inventory after curfew. Outrageous. On the other hand though, things within the sect though were slowly improving. His nephews both seemed reasonably content, eternal issues had quietened and for once it felt like he wasn't rushed off of his feet.
In a month or so, the sect would head down to Lanling for the annual conference where key topics would be discussed. There was one major topic that Qiren hoped would pop up - that menace, the Yiling Patriarch. He didn't understand why nothing had been done about the boy other than removing him from the Jiang Sect. This boy had openly opposed the governing powers, he had sided with traitors and practised evil cultivation. He was the devil himself. In addition, he sensed that his friendship with Wangji could be drawing him over to the dark side and ruining his student.
He was aware of the 'righteous' motives behind his actions and the questionable intentions of Guangshan but his hatred for the boy and his arrogance counteracted all of his insight. Everyone new that Guangshan the Chief cultivator was no saint - he was probably whoring around with some women right now - but they were two separate matters and if something needed to be done to reduce the man's power, that could be done in future.
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Author's Note:
Sorry this chapter is to sort of tie up ends before the Conference in the next chapter. Firstly, I think I forgot to mention, but all the key events that should have been happening along this timeline in the book (marriage of Zixuan and Yanli...) are on hold in this fanfic for the moment. Hope you enjoyed and please vote and comment, it means a lot!
P.S. is it just me that gets Snape vibes from Qiren. I'm not really a potter head but their situation is quite similar (love of their life married someone else and had a kid and then died, leaving a child whom they despise out of jealousy).
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You've Changed | Wangxian |
Fanfiction"What happened to you?"... "Why are you so cold?"... "Who hurt you?"... Wei Ying is missing, the sunshot campaign is struggling and on the brink of collapse. Unknown to the rest of the world, Wei Wuxian is rising again. But he's changed - his once l...
