Under the Moonlight

Chapter 42

The following morning, Wei Wuxian stirred, his body slowly waking to the persistent ache in every muscle. As he shifted, the pain hit him all at once—sharp, dull, and everywhere in between. He winced, trying to stretch out the stiffness that had settled into his limbs, but even the slightest movement sent fresh waves of soreness through him. His body protested, a vivid reminder of the intensity of the night before.

Blinking away the haze of sleep, he looked around and realized he was in his old room at Lotus Pier. The familiarity of the space was comforting, yet it felt oddly distant, as though it belonged to another life. He glanced down and saw that he was wearing a clean inner robe, soft against his skin but still causing friction where his body was most tender. As he gingerly pulled the fabric away from his chest, he caught sight of the marks scattered across his skin—evidence of the night he had spent with Lan Wangji.

His pink nipples stung as they brushed against the robe, the soreness a reminder of the intensity of Lan Wangji's touch. He winced, but there was a flicker of something else behind the discomfort—a pleasant ache that made his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with pain.

Slowly, he touched his lips, which were swollen and tender from where they had been bitten. The pressure from his fingers caused a soft throb, but he couldn't help but rub his lips, savoring the sensation as memories of the previous night flooded back. Every kiss, every mark, every touch replayed in his mind. He had given himself to Lan Wangji completely, and the thought made his heart race.

Lan Wangji's lips had been everywhere—on his skin, his throat, his collarbone. Each kiss had been a promise, gentle at first, but growing more intense as the night wore on. His touch, so tender in the beginning, became more possessive, more insistent.

Wei Wuxian recalled the way Lan Wangji had grazed his teeth over his scent glands, a shiver running down his spine at the memory. The feel of those lips, slightly roughened from biting, grazing over the sensitive spot on his neck—it had sent him spiraling into a haze of pleasure. His scent glands had never been touched like that before, and the sensation was overwhelming.

In that moment, Wei Wuxian had whispered breathlessly, "Lan Zhan... I want this every day. I want to be with you like this every night."

It took every bit of resistance to not mark him. 

It had been only for one night. He had known that going in. But in that single night, his body had become addicted to Lan Wangji's touch, craving the heat and passion that had consumed them both. Now, even the thought of anyone else touching him felt wrong. He wanted only Lan Wangji—his gentleness, his intensity, his overwhelming presence.

But then, a heavy sigh escaped his lips, pulling him back to reality. In his drunken state, he had asked Lan Wangji to love him for just one night, nothing more. A fleeting moment to indulge in something that could never last. The weight of that realization settled over him like a heavy cloak, bittersweet and unavoidable.

He had asked for one night, but now... now he wasn't sure if one night would ever be enough.

He wasn't sure how he had gotten to his room, but after noticing that his body had been cleaned and his hair brushed, he realized Lan Wangji had taken careful, loving care of him after their intimate night under the moonlight. Every detail had been attended to with the quiet, meticulous care that was so characteristic of Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smile softly, his heart warming despite the soreness in his body.

He glanced around the room, searching for any sign that Lan Wangji had been there—a note, a lingering scent, anything. But there was nothing. Of course, Lan Wangji wouldn't sleep with him in the same bed. That wasn't how he was. What had Wei Wuxian been expecting? A part of him had foolishly hoped to wake up beside him, to share in the quiet intimacy of the morning. But that wasn't their reality, was it?