Unrestrained Heart

Chapter 4

"Wei Wuxian! Sit up straight, it is unseemly for a future member of our clan to slouch so." Lan Qiren bites out as soon as he enters the room. Wei Wuxian sighs and adjusts his posture; he really is trying to make Lan Wangji's uncle like him but no matter what he does it doesn't seem to be good enough. There are just too many rules, and he can't possibly follow all of them. Yesterday uncle had admonished him for walking too fast. The day before that he had accused him of dawdling. If Wei Wuxian enjoys his meal Lan Qiren says it's gluttony, if he only eats a little the man says he is being a picky eater.

The last five months have been some of the happiest of Wei Wuxian's life, it's only this one thing that has been bothering him. Well that and the fact that he isn't allowed to be alone with Lan Wangji, not since Lan Qiren had caught them kissing behind the library pavilion.

It's only one more month, Wei Wuxian reminds himself. Beside him Lan Wangji looks like he wants to say something but Wei Wuxian has forbidden him from arguing with his uncle on his behalf.

"I don't want to cause grief between you and your family," Wei Wuxian had told him. "Besides, your uncle only wants to make sure I don't embarrass your clan." He doesn't tell Lan Wangji that his uncle's words are practically tender compared to those he has heard from Madam Yu most of his life. It's only because he wants uncle to like him that it bothers him.

After criticizing Wei Wuxian's posture, uncle grabs a book at random as if that's the reason he came into the library. He nods at Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen then leaves. Wei Wuxian knows the man's real purpose was to make sure Lan Xichen was doing his job as chaperone. Despite the fact that the library is full of Lan disciples today, he doesn't trust Wei Wuxian to be close to his nephew.

Once he is gone Wei Wuxian not only slumps again, but he scoots close to Lan Wangji and leans his head on the alpha's shoulder. A sight that would cause uncle to have a heart attack if he turned back to see.

Lan Wangji strokes his head in a comforting way but otherwise keeps his attention on his book.

Lan Xichen smiles at them, "Forgive my uncle." He says.

"I've never understood why he doesn't like me," Wei Wuxian says.

"Jiang Fengmian didn't tell you about uncle and your mother?" Lan Xichen asks. Even Lan Wangji looks up in interest at this as if he hadn't heard this either.

"My mother?" Wei Wuxian asks in surprise. "Jiang Fengmian never talks about my parents."

"Your parents, Jiang Fengmian and uncle were all peers. They often went on night hunts together. Your mother was, well let's just say she was a lot like you. One day there was a dispute between the three of them over a night hunt. The next morning uncle woke up to find Changse Sanren had shaved off his beard. Because he was young, uncle was quite proud of his beard. He never forgave your mother for it." Lan Xichen says. "I heard the story from some of the respected seniors."

Wei Wuxian doesn't point out that spreading stories is against Lan rules. He knows now that most of the Lan clan puts on a disciplined front to the world but in their private lives, they are not that much different from other clans.

Wei Wuxian laughs at this story until tears stream down his face. Just as his laughter begins to die down he imagines Lan Qiren with his beard shaved by his mother and it sets him off again. After that every time the man chides him for anything Wei Wuxian has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing again.

By the time the six months in Cloud Recesses is up Wei Wuxian's music cultivation has advanced dramatically. There are a few things that aren't suitable for the flute like chord assassination and enquiry, although Wei Wuxian has an idea he is working on for his own method of speaking with the dead he calls empathy.