Beneath the Moonless Sky

A Curious Observation

Over the next few weeks, Lan Xichen began to notice subtle changes in his brother's routine. Lan Wangji, who was usually predictable and preferred spending his free time reading or practicing music at home, had started coming home later than usual on Wednesdays. He also disappeared most of Saturday afternoons, which was completely out of character for someone with no job or extracurricular commitments.

At first, Lan Xichen didn't think much of it, assuming Lan Wangji was perhaps taking more time to study or had found a new hobby. But as the weeks went by, the regularity of these late returns caught his attention.

On Wednesday evening, after dinner, Lan Xichen casually brought it up while they were cleaning up. "Wangji, you've been coming home late these past few weeks. You also seem to be spending a lot of your Saturdays out of the house."

Lan Wangji, always reserved, didn't stop what he was doing, but Lan Xichen noticed the slight pause before his younger brother replied.

"I've been helping someone," Lan Wangji said simply, as though that explained everything.

Lan Xichen raised an eyebrow. "Helping someone? Who?"

There was a long pause before Lan Wangji answered. "Wei Ying."

Lan Xichen's heart skipped a beat at the name. He had, of course, shared his frustrations with Lan Wangji about Wei Ying, the boy in his class who was struggling so much with his studies. Lan Wangji had listened, as he always did, but Lan Xichen hadn't expected his brother to take such an interest.

"You've been seeing Wei Ying?" Lan Xichen asked, curiosity filling his voice.

Lan Wangji nodded. "I've been helping him with his schoolwork."

Lan Xichen couldn't hide his surprise. "You've been tutoring him?"

"Yes," Lan Wangji said quietly, his tone as calm and unwavering as ever. "I go to the flower shop on Wednesdays and Saturdays after it closes. Wei Ying and I study at the library."

Lan Xichen stared at his brother, both impressed and puzzled. It wasn't like Lan Wangji to take on something like this, especially outside of school. "I didn't know you were tutoring him," he said, a small smile forming on his lips. "That's very kind of you, Wangji."

Lan Wangji didn't respond, but his calm demeanor was enough to assure Lan Xichen that his brother was doing this because he genuinely wanted to help Wei Ying. There was something about the boy that had captured Lan Wangji's attention, and Lan Xichen couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his younger brother.

"I'm glad you're helping him," Lan Xichen said after a moment. "Wei Ying needs someone like you."

Lan Wangji gave a small nod in agreement, but as he turned to leave the room, Lan Xichen couldn't shake the thought that there was more to this than just tutoring. Something about Wei Ying had sparked a rare determination in his brother, and Lan Xichen was curious to see where this would lead.