"Bound by Destiny"

Chapter 34 : The Unexpected Discovery

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As the days slipped into years, life at Cloud Recesses settled into a comfortable rhythm for Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. They had found a delicate balance in their relationship-one that nurtured their love, provided them with moments of tenderness, and, most importantly, offered a quiet sanctuary where they could be themselves. Yet, as time passed, the weight of expectations from the outside world began to bear down on them.

It had been nearly three years since their union. Wei Wuxian, no longer the scrawny, childlike boy of twelve, was now growing into a young man. His features had sharpened, his body filled out in places that were once all bone. His mischievous eyes still held their glint, but there was a maturity about him that had only recently begun to show. Lan Wangji, though ever-reserved, noticed these changes with an intensity that even he found difficult to contain.

But with the passage of time came questions-whispers from the other clans, murmurs about their union, and the one subject neither of them had dared to speak of openly: heirs.

The Rumors Begin

It started as a whisper-a small comment from one of the visiting clan elders during a routine discussion of sect matters. The Jin Clan elder had smiled too sweetly, his eyes flickering toward Wei Wuxian as he spoke.

"It's been some time since the union of the famed Hanguang-jun and the young Wei Wuxian. And yet, no announcement has been made of an heir, hm?"

The words were innocent enough, but the implications were clear. Wei Wuxian had frozen when he heard it, his hand tightening slightly on the tea cup he had been holding. Lan Wangji, ever the picture of control, did not react outwardly, but Wei Wuxian knew him well enough by now to sense the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes hardened just slightly.

As the days passed, similar comments cropped up from others. Whether they were veiled suggestions or outright questions, the message was clear: it was expected that the union of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian would produce an heir for the Gusu Lan Clan. And the fact that it hadn't yet-it made people talk.

Wei Wuxian's Growing Insecurity

For all of Wei Wuxian's carefree, rebellious nature, there was one thing that weighed heavily on his mind: his own body. He had always been smaller, more slender than other boys his age, and though he had grown, the scars of his childhood insecurities still lingered. Now, with the added pressure of producing an heir, those insecurities bubbled to the surface in ways he hadn't anticipated.

In the quiet moments of the night, when Lan Wangji slept beside him, Wei Wuxian would lie awake, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts would spiral-what if there was something wrong with him? What if he wasn't capable of giving Lan Zhan an heir? What if the problem was his body, the very thing he had never quite felt comfortable in?

The whispers, the expectations-they began to eat away at him. It wasn't something he could just laugh off or brush aside. This was about their future, about the legacy they were supposed to build together. And despite Lan Wangji's endless patience, despite his reassurances, Wei Wuxian couldn't shake the feeling that he was letting him down.

Lan Wangji's Restraint

Lan Wangji, for his part, noticed the shift in Wei Wuxian. He had always been attuned to his emotions, even when Wei Wuxian tried to hide them behind smiles and laughter. But there was something different now-an underlying sadness, a quiet frustration that had begun to seep into their otherwise harmonious relationship.

The issue of heirs had crossed Lan Wangji's mind, of course. It was impossible not to think about it when so many around them seemed to view their union through that lens. But he had never been in a hurry. Wei Wuxian was still young, just beginning to grow into himself. And though their relationship had deepened over the years, Lan Wangji was not blind to the fact that there were still things Wei Wuxian had yet to fully understand-about his own body, about the responsibilities that came with their love.