Lan Wangji stood near one of the stalls on Yiling's square, staring on a colorful offer of ribbons. He had a lot of them back in Cloud Recesses, not that he used them for anything besides securing his braided hair before he went to bed. And, he doubted the elders would approve anyway.
He came to Yiling under the excuse of a night hunt, but his intentions were a little bit different. The things he brought along, hidden in his sleeves, weren't meant for hunting, no. There was more money than he could alone ever use, along with some basic equipment for a household. Nothing too big, of course. He had to stay discreet.
But not even helping the Wen remnants wasn't the full reason.
It was a long time since he's seen Wei Ying, far too longer than he would like. The last time he visited, they had a long talk about taking A-Yuan as theirs. While Lan Wangji agreed, Wei Wuxian didn't. He went on about how he, as Hanguang-Jun, had responsibilities and a reputation to uphold, couldn't stay with them and abandon everything.
He made him leave and return to Cloud Recesses, but there wasn't a day Lan Wangji didn't regret it. His short but frequent visits in Burial Mounds made him used to sleeping next to another person and being held, but now that they have stopped, he couldn't return to sleeping alone for so long.
So here he was, back once again, trying to pick a ribbon. It wasn't like a simple ribbon would get Wei Ying to let him stay, but at least he would have something to remember him. He moved to stare at the neatly folded red ribbons, trying to work out which one was worth buying.
The seller was starting to look a bit nervous, so Lan Wangji ended up picking one of the ones embroidered with a silver thread, and after he quickly payed for it, he left.
Then, he wandered around the market, hoping he would see the familiar face in the crowd. And just to his surprise, he did.
"Rich-gege?"
Lan Wangji looked down in suprise, at a toddler clinging to his leg, smiling widely. "Rich-gege! You're back! Missed you."
"Mn. Missed A-Yuan too," he said softly and picked him up. The kid instantly started playing with his hair and Wangji couldn't supress a small smile.
"Who is here with you?" he asked after a small while, gently freeing his hair out of A-Yuan's firm grip. "Xian-gege went for potatoes," came a short answer.
Lan Wangji hummed and looked around, scanning the crowd for said stall. He didn't want to get acussed of kidnapping a child, plus Wei Ying would probably go mad if he found A-Yuan missing.
Said gremlin again got a hold of the older's hair and was now messily trying to braid them, happily ignoring the fact he just ran off. Luckily, an old woman clearly noticed his struggles and pointed them in a right direction.
They both made their way through the square and in no time, they both stood a few meters behind a man clad in black robes, who was arguing with the poor seller.
"The price is absolutely ridiculous!"
"I'm sorry young master, but I can't make it any lower. I need the money for my children."
"We have been eating radishes for the past half a year. Do you know how disgusting they are in a soup?"
"I sincerely apologize, but I really cannot go lower."
"Fine! Keep your potatoes, I hope your children choke on them!"
Wei Wuxian turned around and violently stomped away from the stall, only to crash into Lan Wangji with a full force.
"Ay, watch where you're-Lan Zhan?" He looked surprised, all traces of anger gone from his face. Which was beautiful, Lan Wangji noted.
"What are you doing here?" Wei Wuxian asked, stepping back for a bit so he could face him better. Only then he notice the toddler settled on Lan Wangji's hip. "A-Yuan, I told you a million times, do not leave on your own! What if you got lost or someone took you!"
"Wei Ying."
"But I saw Rich-gege and wanted to say hello," A-Yuan pouted, his hand still grasping the half done messy braid he was working on, which Wei Wuxian also noticed.
"Oh, you gremlin child. You can't do this to the mighty Hanguang-Jun's hair."
"Wei Ying. It's alright," Lan Wangji spoke quietly.
The latter sighed. "What are you even doing here? I thought..."
"Let me stay," Lan Wangji blurted out.
Wei Wuxian blinked. "What?"
"Please let me stay."
"I..."
A-Yuan abandoned the braid in order to look at both his geges. "Is Rich-gege staying for dinner?" He asked in a small voice, glancing between the two men. "I want Rich-gege to stay."
"A-Yuan, I'm afraid he has responsibilities at home."
"I don't."
"Yes you-what?"
"I told Xiongzhang that I won't be returning," Lan Wangji explained.
"Lan Zhan, you can't stay here. Look at this place, it's filthy and all we eat are radishes! Besides, staying with the Yiling Patriarch won't do any good to you!"
"Mn. Don't care."
Wei Wuxian sighed. "What does your uncle think about this?"
"Shufu has no word in this matter. He is not the Sect Leader."
"So he doesn't know. Look, Lan Zhan..."
"I still want to raise A-Yuan with you."
Wei Wuxian opened his mouth and closed it again. The three of them stood in silence, interrupted by passing people and the lively market, along with A-Yuan's humming.
The next time he spoke, his tone was sad. "I thought we agreed to be separated for time being. I don't want to stain your reputation any further. It's enough if people talk about us being cut-sleeves, but associating with me..."
Lan Wangji's voice didn't falter. "I don't care about the rumors. I care about you."
Wei Wuxian looked startled and his cheeks went slightly pink. "I won't make you leave, will I?"
"No."
"Alright," he sighed. "But you're free to leave whenever you want. I would never hold you here against your will."
"Mn. I won't leave."
YOU ARE READING
𝕷𝖊𝖙 𝕸𝖊 𝕷𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖄𝖔𝖚...
Fanfiction"I hate you." Lan Zhan said emotionless. Just hearing it, Wei Ying's world came crashing down. But still, he tried to keep his composure. "L..Lan Zhan, you don't have to like me. You no longer need to care for me. Y..you ca...
