Beautiful (Between a rock and a hard place 2)

Chapter 1

If anyone asked Lan Wangji, he would not have been able to pinpoint at what exact moment he had fallen in love with Wei Ying.

Perhaps it was the first moment he had seen the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple walking into the lecture hall and their eyes had met. Or the first time Wei Ying smiled at him as a greeting? Perhaps it had been even before that, while Wei Ying had been sneaking into the Cloud Recesses with forbidden jars of alcohol and they ended up chasing each other and fighting on the rooftops. Or it could have also been when Lan Wangji saw his pouting face at the entrance while the other tried to talk his way inside despite forgetting the invitation.

However, the exact moment was perhaps hard to interpret. Lan Wangji himself thought that it had been more of a gradual thing. As he was slowly getting to know Wei Ying, his feelings grew bit by bit until he was not able to contain them anymore. He found it hard to restrain himself when he was in the same room with the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple, he simply wanted to have him all to himself and not share his smiles with the whole world. He was undeniably in love.

It just happened and he could not take it back anymore. It was stronger than him. He had never understood why his father had taken his mother to the Cloud Recesses and imprisoned her in the Jingshi, now however, he wanted to do the same thing. Wei Ying was just too precious, too beautiful to resist.

He had spent much time with the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple during his punishments and he believed they had gotten closer. At those times, he had Wei Ying only to himself and he was glad that the younger boy found it hard to behave himself and adjust to all the rules the Cloud Recesses were bound by. In this way, they could have all the time they wanted without anyone coming to see them.

Lan Wangji was just a little bit ashamed that he had abused his position as the one giving out the punishment and purposefully made Wei Ying copy more times than he would have let any other disciple. The shared time was much appreciated. Although he was not sure if the younger boy felt the same, at least his frequent whining and complaining about copying being boring did not sound like he was grateful to Lan Wangji for getting him all to himself.

And it was much needed too. There was one problem in the Cloud Recesses which concerned Wei Ying, and that was his brother, Jiang Wanyin.

Lan Wangji had noticed ever since the first day that the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir was very close to Wei Ying. More so than he and his brother were, more so than anyone else he had ever seen besides perhaps a couple of lovers. They were joined by the hip and Wei Ying never went too far from the other, and in turn, Jiang Wanyin was always crowding his brother in a way that must have felt uncomfortable.

He was sure of that because Wei Ying never looked too pleased by his brother's attention. In fact, it looked more like he was scared of him for some unknown reason. It was all very strange because he would try to act normally but there would always be something which would give him away: a slight tremble to his hands, an almost unnoticeable flinch when Jiang Wanyin threw his hand around the other's shoulders and more importantly, the fearful and careful look in Wei Ying's eyes whenever he saw his brother anywhere near.

Lan Wangji did not like this and that was precisely why he had told Wei Ying yesterday that his handwriting was too sloppy and that he should recommence with his copies, more neatly and slowly. Of course the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple tried to talk his way out of this and swore that he could not do better even if he copied the rules a thousand times over but Lan Wangji did not listen to him. He wanted to distance Wei Ying from Jiang Wanyin and this way the only way that he could think of to accomplish his goal.

Right now, he was already sitting in the Library pavilion with a book of poems, waiting for the younger boy. He frowned a bit when he saw that Wei Ying came together with Jiang Wanyin. It seemed like the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir was scolding Lan Wangji's loved one and Wei Ying did not do anything to protect himself or talk back. He just stood there with his head lowered and nodded once Jiang Wanyin finished his tirade.

Lan Wangji did not know what the discussion – if he could even call it like that when it had been this one-sided – was finished, Wei Ying sighed and headed inside, his head still lowered and his usual smile nowhere to be seen.

That changed abruptly when he noticed Lan Wangji had been waiting for him. He immediately made a visible effort to wipe the sad expression off his face as he spoke, his voice full of fake cheerfulness that Lan Wangji so hated by now.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, good afternoon! I am sorry I am late; I had been with Jiang Cheng. He can be a little difficult sometimes... Have you been waiting for me? So good of you."

Lan Wangji's eyebrows shot up hearing the reason of Wei Ying's tardiness. It was not the first time that the younger boy had been with Jiang Wanyin and then looked very sad or distressed. And it was also not the first time that he was late because of the time he spent with his brother. Lan Wangji could tell from his somewhat hesitant confession about the Yunmeng Jiang sect heir being difficult that there was something more to that. There must have been.

Wei Ying must have misunderstood his motion because he quickly retreated to his desk, plopping down with a pretended sigh. As usually, he could not refrain himself from teasing: "Now, now, do not be like that, Lan Zhan. See, I am copying already. You need to make sure you watch closely over me or I may just wither away out of sheer boredom." At last, there it was, the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple's genuine smile.

"Mn," Lan Wangji nodded.

Wei Ying was really behaving quite oddly at times and he did not know why. But he made it his mission to find the reason. He was already sure it had something to do with Jiang Wanyin. Now it was only the matter of discovering the truth. Until then, he would keep Wei Ying by his side by any means necessary.

For the time being however, Lan Wangji was secretly staring at the younger boy, captivated by his beauty and the way the tip of his tongue was poking out of his mouth as he was concentrating on his calligraphy. No one ever said that Lan Wangji could not enjoy all of this and admire his beloved from afar. That was, for now. He knew he would not be satisfied with just this in the long run, he wanted to snatch Wei Ying only for himself and protect him.