Live Again, Love Anew

Chapter 29- Lots of Conversations

Summary

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen talk. Lan Yue and the boys talk. And maybe the talks make more problems than solutions.

Beginning Note

Hey guys! I'm so sorry about last week's chapter. I spent my writing day setting up a way for me to do writing commissions, and then thought I would have time during the week, but it was unusually stressful and busy, so I didn't have time.

On that note; I now have writing commissions!
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Or just use this link. https://commiss.io/listings/KqjK

Enjoy the chapter!

(And please check out my commissions, if only to share it if you don't want anything)

Lan Xichen

Lan Xichen officially has no idea what's going on. When he fell asleep, he was in the Jingshi with A-Zhan and A-Ying. He had a strange dream that night. One of being held tightly by a woman. He imagined that the feeling of being held was what a mother's touch felt like. Mother had held him before, hugged him even, but the touches were always fleeting, gone too soon to really enjoy. And then it would be another month before he got the chance to be embraced again.

Lan Xichen knew that Mother favored A-Zhan, always holding him just a little bit longer, just a little bit more snuggly, as if he would disappear if she let go too soon or looked away too fast. Lan Xichen wasn't jealous though. A-Zhan was his precious baby brother. He couldn't imagine a scenario where he could be genuinely mad, or disappointed, or jealous of his brother. It was just the way the world worked. The sky was blue, the sun would always rise, and A-Zhan would always be nothing but loved by his brother.

But after that dream yesterday... instead of waking up at 5am with A-Zhan and A-Ying... he had woken up in an unfamiliar place, clearly some kind of sleeping quarters of even a small home. And even more strangely, Uncle was there, with A-Zhan and A-Ying completely missing from sight.

Uncle had continued on with his morning like nothing was wrong, so Lan Xichen kept his questions at bay. If there was something truly wrong, Uncle would make sure to pull him aside and tell him, especially if it had something to do with A-Zhan.

(And if A-Zhan was fine and there was something wrong with A-Ying instead, Uncle would tell him, right? They were close enough for that, right?)

By evening, Lan Xichen knew that something was... not wrong, because no one was panicking or making some other fuss, but... different. There was something different, and Lan Xichen was almost completely sure it was because A-Zhan and A-Ying were hidden, or maybe even entirely gone. He didn't see them at breakfast, A-Ying wasn't there to say 'hi' as they each went to their respective classes, A-Zhan didn't do calligraphy or studying with him, and instead of being able to go back to the Jingshi for self study and to wind down as it got closer to curfew, he was led to the same building he woke up in, which he had identified as Uncle's quarters, similar to A-Zhan's and A-Ying's Jingshi, or formerly, Lan Xichen's Hanshi.

So Lan Xichen finally decided to ask. Both him and Uncle were sat down at the low table in the middle of the room, sipping on tea as they settled their dinner and waited for curfew.

"Uncle?" Lan Xichen starts, not entirely sure how to ask the questions he wants without being rude. Uncle just hums, so he continues. "What..." He swallows, setting his tea down on the table. "Where are A-Zhan and A-Ying?"

Uncle blinks, and Lan Xichen startles. Uncle almost looks... surprised? Why would he be surprised? He... He asked a question any concerned sibling would ask, right? Why would that be odd?