Drunken Mistake

DM 26

Wen Qing was not expecting an early morning visitor, yet when she opened the door, Lan Wangji stood there in the pale, gentle light of dawn, his silhouette sharp against the morning sky. His eyes, calm yet resolute, met hers with a quiet intensity. She stifled a sigh, exhaustion weighing on her bones from the night shift she'd just finished. Still, she couldn’t say she was entirely surprised to find him here.

"What are you doing here, Hanguang-jun?" Her voice was soft but edged with curiosity as she leaned against the doorframe.

"I'm here to catch Dr. Luo before her shift," Lan Wangji replied evenly, glancing briefly past her into the quiet hall of her home. "There’s something I need to discuss with her." Then, as if remembering something he'd held back, he looked back at her with a question in his eyes. "Why don’t you call me by my name?"

She raised a brow, amusement flickering over her tired face. "I don’t want to get comfortable calling you that and accidentally slip in front of Wei Wuxian. I don’t need to be the cause of another panic attack."

Lan Wangji’s gaze grew slightly softer, as if he hadn’t expected her to know such details about his A'Xian. "So, you know about his Lan-ge?"

Wen Qing’s eyes met his knowingly. "He must trust you deeply to have shared that name."

Lan Wangji nodded slowly, solemnity casting a shadow across his features as he recognized that trust for what it truly was—a responsibility to keep A'Xian safe.

"He had a nightmare yesterday," he said, voice hushed as if the mere mention of it might awaken it again. "I was hoping Dr. Luo could help me prevent them, but maybe you could offer some guidance."

Before Wen Qing could respond, a cheerful voice chimed from behind her. "Who’s at the door so early?"

Mianmian appeared, her face lighting up as she recognized Lan Wangji. "Wangji? What's up? Did A'Xian have another nightmare?"

Wen Qing gave a small nod, sighing softly. "Yes, and apparently, it wasn’t the first. They started fading once he left the Jiangs and began Jiang Software, but now..." Her voice trailed off thoughtfully.

Mianmian’s expression softened, worry slipping into her bright eyes. "A’Xian suffered from nightmares as a child, too?"

"They aren’t really dreams," Wen Qing clarified, crossing her arms and looking away, her tone troubled. "Some are memories that he doesn’t consciously recall... and some he shouldn’t have to remember."

Lan Wangji’s brows knit as he absorbed this. "I know he had pneumonia when he was young. I heard it left him with memory gaps."

Wen Qing shook her head. "Pneumonia doesn’t do that. His amnesia is rooted in trauma. He developed sepsis back then—a perianal infection that led to a high fever. It was untreated for a time. His bag had an old prescription for laxatives, so we assumed chronic constipation. But when the nightmares began... we understood the truth." She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "What he endured was systematic abuse."

"How tragic!" Mianmian breathed, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.

Lan Wangji stood utterly still, his expression a mask of pained realization. "So… his confusion, his wariness… it all stems from those lost memories," Mianmian murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Wen Qing’s gaze sharpened as she addressed Lan Wangji, her tone suddenly grave. "I admit, when I first learned you were a Lan, I wondered if he was trauma-bonding. But seeing how you’ve allowed him to explore himself and come to terms with his identity—it's clear he trusts you deeply. Still, I’m afraid it may not be enough."

Lan Wangji’s eyes darkened with concern. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "These ‘nightmares’… I believe they’re fragments of his past breaking through. Wei Wuxian today is very different from the boy he used to be, and that’s in large part due to your acceptance and support. But," she hesitated, her eyes fixed on his, "you must understand that this journey won't be smooth."

"Honestly," Mianmian interjected, glancing at Lan Wangji, "when I shared my initial assessment of A'Xian with Wen Qing, she couldn’t believe we were discussing the same person."

Wen Qing nodded, her expression softening as she recalled those early days. "Wen Ning told me he even stood up to Lady Jiang," she added. "You’re good to him, Lan Wangji. But you’ll need to brace yourself—this might get worse before it gets better."

He absorbed their words in silence, eyes lowered in thought, his shoulders squared with a newfound resolve. "How can I help him?"

"Start by helping him sleep soundly," Mianmian suggested, her tone gentle. "Reduce his stress before bed, as we discussed before." She chuckled, her tone teasing. "And I’m sure you know best how to do that."

Lan Wangji looked down, his cheeks warming as he cleared his throat. "I am… following your instructions closely," he replied, his voice barely above a murmur.

Wen Qing’s eyes gleamed with an idea, and she turned to Mianmian. "What about dream journaling?"

Mianmian’s face lit up with enthusiasm. "That’s a brilliant idea! It might help him piece together his memories over time, and with your support, he might even be ready to face them."

Lan Wangji gave a firm nod, his expression thoughtful. The morning air around them fell still, each of them wrapped in their own thoughts. He hadn’t fully realized until now the strength of his A'Xian—the courage it took to confront even slivers of such a past. He felt a new sense of duty, a fierce determination rising within him.

He would be there for him, unwavering, as long as it took. And he knew now more than ever that being by A'Xian’s side meant not shielding him from the past but helping him reclaim it.

***
When Wei Wuxian opened his eyes the bed was cold. It was well past breakfast. He walked into the kitchen to find a casserole full of spicy garlic noodles. There were no plates in the sink or clothes in the laundry. Lan Wangji had a busy morning. He went back to the bedroom and saw the state of the bed and blushed.

Suddenly a voice came to him from his dream, deep and sombre, "You'll be mine, eventually," it said. Wei Wuxian shuddered at the memory.

"Lan Zhan," he called out. "Lans  lie but Lan Wangji doesn't and it's enough for me," he challenged his nightmare.