Courtship Rite

Should Have Given Him Chickens

Xichen, Wangji, and their uncle Qiren each had their own apartment on the penthouse level of the Lan residence. Only the rooftop garden stood between their homes and the sky. When Meng Yao stepped off the elevator, Xichen, having been alerted to his arrival by security, waited by his door. "How did it go?"

As well as can be expected, Meng Yao thought. "Fine. It should be fine."

Xichen didn't look completely reassured but opened the door and gestured for Meng Yao to enter. In the living room, the ceiling soared two stories above the wooden floor. The windows, which ran from floor to ceiling, provided a view of the water that took Meng Yao's breath away every time. To the left, the ceiling rose up only one story, demarcating the boundary between living room and dining area. Lan Wangji sat at the dining table. His eyes were fixed on Meng Yao. He looked, if possible, even more upset than earlier, but he didn't speak.

"Please, Wangji, do not feel troubled. Wei Ying was merely, um, surprised by the speed of the courtship. In the end, this will turn out to be no more than a minor inconvenience."

"You see, Wangji," Xichen said gently. "I told you Meng Yao would fix things."

Lan Wangji's expression, although as blank as ever, somehow suggested he wasn't following.

"You see, courtships can go on for months or even years." That was laying it on a bit thick, but it was unlikely that Lan Wangji would know any better. "Finding himself here, suddenly, after a mere two weeks, well, Wei Ying found it disorienting."

"I sent him gifts. I followed the courtship rules. Does Wei Ying not love me as I love him?"

Xichen winced at the declaration, and Meng Yao brightened his smile to distract Lan Wangji from his brother's discomfort. "Of course he does, but courtships are more than gifts. There's usually a certain amount of time involved." Meng Yao wondered how many times he'd have to repeat himself before Lan Wangji believed him. "Wei Ying merely feels overwhelmed by how quickly your courtship proceeded."

Lan Wangji crossed his arms. Damn, but he could be stubborn. "I've waited long enough for Wei Ying."

Xichen took a seat next to Lan Wangji and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You just need to give Wei Ying more time."

"You never gave yours any time," Lan Wangji countered. "Sometimes you'd bring them home the night you met them."

Meng Yao jerked his head towards the window but still caught a glimpse of the blush spreading across Xichen's cheeks.

"That's different, Wangji," Xichen said. "Those were just hookups. A courtship is not the same."

Meng Yao turned back to the table and hoped his smile didn't look brittle. "I understand you don't want to wait, but Wei Ying will be happier if you give him time to adjust."

"Wangji, do you remember that time uncle had your rooms redecorated? Even though you knew about it ahead of time, you still weren't ready when it happened. Do you remember how you wouldn't sleep there for weeks?"

"Mm."

Thank heavens for Xichen. He seemed to have gotten through to his brother. Lan Wangji didn't look happy, but at least he'd unfolded his arms and moved his hands to his lap. Meng Yao took the opportunity to reinforce Xichen's point. "What Wei Ying needs now is time. Please don't visit him until tomorrow. You can bring him breakfast, but please wait until he's risen on his own."

"I don't want to wait." And there was the mulish expression.

When Xichen sighed, Meng Yao hid his surprise. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he'd seen Xichen run low on patience. "Wangi."