Backlash Part 1

Chapter 74: Barriers and Bunnies

Lan Wangji was not sure when he had ever felt so exhausted. Wei Wuxian had warned that everyone who participated would be exhausted afterwards. That had not prepared Lan Wangji for how bone achingly tired he felt. Everyone walked away under their own power, but Lan Wangji could tell it was a near thing for some of them. Lan Wangji himself felt he had been mostly propelled by force of will. He was extremely grateful he had planned ahead. Expecting both Wei Wuxian and himself to be tired after working on the barrier, Lan Wangji had made preparations beforehand.

Lan Wangji lowered himself to sit at the table. It took effort to sit down slowly. There was a small urge to let himself simply fall to the floor, but Lan Wangji couldn't bring himself to complete such an action. Lan Wangji released a sigh of relief when he finally sat down. He started preparing tea then considered the box packed with food sitting on the table. If he thought Wei Wuxian would be right back, then Lan Wangji could unpack the food and have it out and waiting.

'Wei Ying seemed to still be full of energy. He might be back soon or it might take longer.' Lan Wangji sighed and opted to leave the food packed. Wei Ying had invented a talisman recently that Lan Wangji could use to keep food fresh until they were ready to eat it. It was cleverly designed, accomplishing something infinitely helpful, but so mundane that Lan Wangji doubted anyone had bothered to conceive of it. Lan Wangji couldn't suppress a small smile. That was part of Wei Wuxian's brilliance. His mind was not limited. Wei Wuxian considered everything from the ordinary to the unthinkable. It was one of the many things Lan Wangji had fallen in love with.

Lan Wangji felt himself having to focus to keep his eyes open. His entire body felt heavy. It had been a long time since Lan Wangji had ever completely exhausted his spiritual energy. The Cloud Recesses barrier had been demanding both in its complexity and in the amount of spiritual energy it took. Lan Wangji tried to focus on preparing tea. He didn't want to rest until Wei Wuxian had returned. Thankfully Lan Wangji had cooked beforehand and Wei Wuxian's talisman would keep it fresh until they opened it.

Lan Wangji was hoping he did a better job this time. Wei Wuxian had shared feedback about the food after every meal in the last four days. Lan Wangji had been grateful of this and was trying to make changes accordingly. Wei Wuxian hadn't realized that Lan Wangji was cooking the meals. Lan Wangji hadn't intended to keep it a secret. He was just nervous about Wei Wuxian disliking the food. So when Wei Wuxian assumed Lan Wangji bought the food in Caiyi, Lan Wangji just decided not to correct him.

Wei Wuxian had eaten everything Lan Wangji prepared each time. The feedback was also changing so Lan Wangji believed he had been improving. It was much easier to get Wei Wuxian to eat if he liked the food. This had been the reason Lan Wangji had ultimately decided to walk into the kitchen and learn to prepare food. Although that had been the reason he started, Lan Wangji was beginning to like it.

There was something pleasant about preparing food and then seeing Wei Wuxian enjoy it. It made Lan Wangji happy. It was a way to show Wei Wuxian that he cared, and every time Wei Wuxian praised anything about the food Lan Wangji felt like that care had been reciprocated. Even when Wei Wuxian made criticism or suggested improvements, he still devoured the food enthusiastically. It made Lan Wangji want to keep trying. The appreciation and enthusiasm made Lan Wangji feel proud of himself. Something Lan Wangji had rarely experienced. True Lan Wangji was praised by many people, but those praises didn't bring the joy and satisfaction that Lan Wangji felt when Wei Wuxian praised him.

Lan Wangji rubbed his eyes tiredly and supported his head with a hand on his forehead. They'd leave for Lotus Pier in two days, and Lan Wangji was not sure how he felt about it. On the one hand there were many innocent people in Lotus Pier that they wanted to save. Wei Wuxian grew up in Lotus Pier. He loved Lotus Pier and the YunmengJiang sect. That didn't change the look in Wei Wuxian's eyes whenever he thought about Lotus Pier.