Bed Intruder

Say What?!

Chapter 1 - Say what?!

Lan Wangji did not know how it happened, but he woke up snuggled up next to his brother (well actually on top of his brother, Lan Xichen had a soft, comfortable chest to lie on), a thing that had stopped early on in their childhood. Did being at Qishan and having to be around Jin Guangshan and Wen Ruohan unsettle him so much that he reverted to his childhood habits? Heaven knows both men made his skin crawl, albeit in different ways. He was glad this discussion conference wasn't too long and soon they could go back home.

Wait no, it was that mischievous Wei Wuxian's fault wasn't it? He was really upset when his ribbon was pulled off but he didn't realise how badly it must have affected him for him to seek comfort from his brother. But really, he was too old for this, he couldn't be acting like this! He was sixteen for crying out loud! What would people say if they knew?! Lan Xichen of course never minded, but Lan Xichen had always coddled his little brother, even if they'd both deny that that's what it was.

Anyway, he should get back to his room before anyone knew he wasn't in it. Thankfully, none of the other clans rose as early as the Lans, so he should be able to make it without anyone seeing him.

Or so he thought.

As he opened the door he was met with a commotion that the silencing talismans the Wens used in their guest rooms had been keeping out.

"Lan Zhan!"

It was Wei Wuxian again, surrounded by various disciples who looked strangely alert for it being just after 5 am. Of course, where there was trouble one could reliably expect to find Wei Wuxian somehow in the thick of it. A part of Lan Wangji admired his boldness but shrunk from it too.

"Lan Zhan! Did you come to fetch your brother to help?"

Lan Wangji tilted his head quizzically.

"Help?"

With what?

"Did something happen?"

An enraged look crossed Wei Wuxian's normally cheerful face.

"You didn't hear yet? Some pervert tried to assault Jiang Cheng last night! It was lucky that I was around to help! I don't even want to think about what could have happened if I wasn't! We're looking for him now. Sect Leader Wen sent some of his disciples to assist us but we'll take all the help we can get. Who knows where that bastard is now," he scowled.

Lan Wangji was horrified.

Someone tried to what?!

Who could be so bold and shameless as to do such a thing?!

Jiang Wanyin was the heir to one of the great sects, anyone attacking him could not hope to get away with this.

(Plus it shook the minor sect leaders because if Jiang Wanyin could be targeted like this, what of their own children who did not have a great sect behind them? Not to mention Wen Ruohan was supremely ticked off that anyone would dare to ruin his discussion conference like this, so everyone was on edge.)

The thought in the back of everyone's mind was that someone who was of equal or greater status than the Jiang heir and also from a great sect might just be that bold. Plus they would have to be a cultivator of a certain calibre as well, Jiang Wanyin was a strong cultivator for his age and his shixiong was a bit above him in strength, yet it took them both to detach the intruder from Jiang Wanyin's person.

Of course, everyone remembered that a certain Jin Guangshan had been seen with his arm around the (awkward looking) boy's shoulders earlier in the day, 'consoling' him for not placing in the top 3 in the archery competition and remarking on how he was growing up well and looking more and more like his mother, the fierce but beautiful Violet Spider, everyday. Neither his wife, Madam Jin, nor the aforementioned Violet Spider were at the conference. Maybe he drank a bit too much and decided he wanted the boy in place of his mother?

These were the whispers that Lan Wangji was hearing now that he was paying attention to the chatter of the disciples milling about.

Could Jin Guangshan have really tried to... to force himself on Jiang Wanyin?

"I will help," said Lan Wangji resolutely, "Let me go get brother."

Wei Wuxian thanked him and Lan Wangji dazedly stepped back into the room he was trying to silently vacate. At least nobody would have questions about him being in Lan Xichen's room because nobody was paying him the slightest bit of attention with this development.

If it was Jin Guangshan, even if they couldn't do much to him as the sect leader of the richest sect, it would be better to find out so that people would know to be careful around him. Lan Wangji recalled that there were rumours about his philandering ways, but as a Lan he didn't particularly pay attention to gossip. It seems maybe he should have. It was an open secret the man was adulterous but was he also a rapist?! Lan Wangji shuddered at the thought.

"Wangji what is going on?" said Lan Xichen, who had barely fallen back asleep when his brother had tried to sneak out and who had fully woken up upon hearing chatter outside when Lan Wangji opened the door.

It was too early for people to be out and about so something must have happened.

Lan Wangji explained what Wei Wuxian had told him and what people were saying.

"What? No Sect Leader Jin surely couldn't be so foolish," said Lan Xichen, gobsmacked at the news. He was tempted to say he couldn't be so dishonourable but well, it was Jin Guangshan and Lans didn't lie, even to themselves. (Well, they shouldn't at least.)

Lan Wangji shook his head, "Well whoever it is it would only be right that we should help to search for this individual."

Lan Xichen agreed of course.
"May I borrow some of your robes?" Lan Wangji asked, "It would be more expedient than returning to my room to change." Lan Wangji had on the same clothes from the day before of course, he hadn't gone to his room to get ready for bed, he'd just slipped into his brother's.

Lan Xichen assented and luckily they weren't that different in size so he had no problems quickly dressing in one of Lan Xichen's simpler robes and going back out to liaise with Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen took a few minutes longer given that as sect heir he had to dress a bit more elaborately. His brother, usually so meticulous, had hastily thrown his robes across the changing screen and it slipped down to the floor as the door closed.

Lan Xichen smiled slightly, his little brother was growing up into a good man, unafraid to search for justice.

Bending down to pick up the robe, Lan Xichen noticed that there was a tear on the sleeve. Hm, how did his brother's sleeve get cut? Huaisang had said he was going to cheer him up after that disaster at the competition and Lan Xichen hadn't seen them for the rest of the evening. What on earth did Wangji and Huaisang get up to? It couldn't be that Huaisang asked for an archery lesson like Nie Mingjue had been trying to set up?

Well anyway there'd be time to ask about that later. For now he should go and help search for Jiang Wanyin's bed intruder.