Drunken Mistake

DM 33

In five months, Wei Ying had transformed the tranquil halls of Cloud Recess into his personal playground. Whenever an elder's narrowed eyes scanned the grounds, he knew they were likely searching for him, prepared to deliver another punishment. While Wei Ying barely blinked at their scolding, the repetitive punishments—copying phrases like "I shall not run" or "I'll not talk during meditation"—tested his patience. They were tedious and didn't challenge him the way his parents' punishments had, like laps around the park or holding books until his arms ached. He missed the thrill of those tasks, how they made him stronger. Besides, his climbing skills meant that sneaking into Lan Zhan's second-story room was almost too easy. No one would suspect him hiding in the room directly across from his own, tucked safely within Lan Zhan's space. With Lan Zhan's arrival, that was supposed to change. Wei Ying, however, was up for the challenge.

Lan Zhan, sitting in serene meditation after dinner, opened his eyes at the soft creak of his bed. There lounged Wei Ying, sprawled like he owned the place. Lan Zhan's normally composed expression shifted, his eyes widening. "Ying'er, why are you in my room?"

Wei Ying grinned, unabashed. "If I'm going to be yours, shouldn't you be keeping me close?"

Lan Zhan's brow creased. "Shameless."

Unfazed, Wei Ying shrugged. "Lan er-gege, this room has been my hideout for months."

"How did you get in?" Lan Zhan asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

"Magnets," Wei Ying said with a grin, as though that explained everything. And somehow, to Lan Zhan, it did.

Wei Ying sat up, crossing his legs as he leaned in. "So, Lan er-gege, what's your favorite jam?"

Lan Zhan blinked, momentarily taken aback. "I like instrumental music."

"Ooh. I like English songs. My mom used to play them all the time. I heard you play guitar?" Wei Ying tilted his head, watching for a reaction.

Lan Zhan nodded his head a hint of pride flashing across his face. "Jimmy Hendrix or Eric Clapton?" Wei Ying asked. 

Lan Zhan replied in a heartbeat, "Jimmy Page. Lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin. He was popular around your mother's time."

Wei Ying's eyebrows lifted. "How do you know about my mom?"

"Your mother and my uncle were best friends in school," Lan Zhan replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "There was a... falling out when she chose your father instead."

Wei Ying blinked, caught off guard. "Baba never mentioned that, neither did my parents," he said quietly, absorbing the revelation. "I knew he still works at the same lab they worked in."

"Your grandmother, Baoshan Sanren, still sponsors our institute," Lan Zhan added. There was a deep familiarity in his tone, like he'd studied every piece of Wei Ying's family history.

Wei Ying couldn't help but smile. "An encyclopedia on my family, huh?"

Lan Zhan shrugged, unbothered. "I like to be informed about what's mine." His words held a quiet intensity that stirred something unsteady in Wei Ying's chest.

"That's... nice," Wei Ying managed, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "To be yours."

Lan Zhan looked at him with mild exasperation. "You're too young to know that."

Wei Ying's grin widened. "And you're only two years older than me. I've looked into you too, you know."

"That's two years too many," Lan Zhan countered, with a hint of pride. "I'm graduating early. College next year."

Wei Ying smirked. "Isn't pride forbidden in Cloud Recess?"

Lan Zhan raised an eyebrow. "I'm only here for two months at the end of each semester. That doesn't count."