The Tainted Jade of Gusu

Chapter 27: A Rain-soaked Night at Yunping city (Part 1)

By the time Wei Wuxian had managed to get Lan Wangji back to their room at the inn, the skies were overcast. 

Lan Wangji was tugging at his robes, complaining that he was too warm.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian went ahead to close the windows, "it's gonna rain soon. Don't worry, I remember you don't like it when it rains."

"Mn." Lan Wangji had already started getting out of his robes.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian was a little shocked, "What are you doing?"

"Sssh," Lan Wangji pressed his index fingers to his own lips, "give me your hands."

"My...hands?" Wei Wuxian was a little confused, "what do you want my hands for?" 

But he ended up holding out his hands towards Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji gripped both his hands and slipped them around his own neck.

Wei Wuxian chuckled at this childish antic. 

"Lan Zhan," he pulled Lan Wangji a little closer, "you could have just told me you missed me, and you wanted a hug."

"Mn," Lan Wangji pouted,  "don't want to say everything."

"Alright, alright," Wei Wuxian chuckled, "Lan Er Ge, you are probably not going to remember anything when you sober up. So let's not do anything we both might regret, okay?"

"Regret?" Lan Wangji's face turned indescribably sad, "Wei Ying has regrets?"

"I do have a few." Wei Wuxian chuckled.

Lan Wangji freed himself from Wei Wuxian's arms and turned with his back facing Wei Wuxian. 

"What happened, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian was a little concerned now.

Lan Wangji pulled open the window, and a glimmer of lightning crackled across the dark sky, followed by the distant rumble of thunder. 

"Does Wei Ying remember?" Lan Wangji didn't turn to face Wei Wuxian. Clad only in the innermost layer of his robes, he stood facing the open window. It had already started to rain, and little water droplets splashed against Lan Wangji's face.

"I have had several memories worth remembering," Wei Wuxian smiled, "I hope Lan Zhan isn't talking about the embarrassing ones."

Lan Wangji turned sharply towards him, and a single drop of tear rolled down his cool, damp face. 

In a flash, Wei Wuxian went back to a wintry rainy night thirteen years ago. A pair of golden phoenix eyes. A drop of tear rolling down the face that resembled a jade statue. And an invisible barrier between the two.

"I remember everything, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian cupped Lan Wangji's face and kissed the tear away, "I even remember the saltwater taste of your tears."

Lan Wangji raised his hands to cover both Wei Wuxian's palms, his breaths shaking slightly.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian continued, "I didn't get to talk to you after that. You left so soon. I was scared that I hurt you, and you wanted nothing to do with me any..."

Before Wei Wuxian could finish his words, he was cut off by a pair of damp lips against his own, a familiar taste he had savoured for days on end. He could taste the faint sweetness of the tofu pudding lingering in Lan Wangji's mouth. He watched as the pristine white forehead ribbon tumbled to the ground, and inky black hair spilled all over Lan Wangji's shoulders.

Wei Wuxian didn't make any moves by himself. He was well aware that Lan Wangji was drunk, and he didn't want to do something that would make Lan Wangji regret. But he didn't want this to stop.