Drunken Mistake

DM 39

Wei Ying's eyes blinked open, heavy and unfocused, while his stomach clenched painfully, a constant ache gnawing at him. A sharper throb pulsed through his ankle, and his arms stung from scrapes, tiny cuts dotting his skin where he'd braced against the rough edges of the stairs. Every inch of him hurt from his fall, yet the darkness crowding around him was somehow worse. It wrapped him in a thick, suffocating chill, pressing down on him, filling his mind with restless whispers of doubt and anger.

What was Lan Zhan thinking, shoving him down here? Did he honestly believe a dark basement would scare him into compliance or silence him? Wei Ying pushed himself up, forcing his legs to steady, his heart beating a quick, nervous rhythm. When he stumbled up the steps and banged on the door, there was only the hollow sound of his fists meeting unyielding wood. The silence that followed made his breath hitch. Lan Zhan was gone, leaving him alone with the pressing darkness.

Fine. He wouldn't think about that right now. He just needed to find a way out. But as his head swam and his stomach growled, a wave of dizziness nearly toppled him. He had barely touched his breakfast that morning, the bite of a fever running through him keeping him from eating much. He had gone without dinner too, the memory of his last tense encounter with Lan Zhan tainting his appetite. Hunger clawed at him, intensifying the ache in his belly.

Driven by desperation, he began searching the basement's dusty shelves, moving boxes and peering into dark corners, hoping for anything edible. Just as he was about to give up, he rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. There, curled in a ball, was a tiny puppy. His heart skipped—Lan Huan's puppy, the one Lan Zhan had insisted he give away. So, this was where they'd hidden it. And there, right beside the puppy, was a plate with a heap of dog food. Likely, Lan Huan had prepared it for the night.

The sight of food—any food—stirred a fierce need in his stomach, silencing his hesitation. His hand reached out, hovering for a moment before he scooped up a handful of the dry, crumbly bites. He barely managed to get them to his lips when a sudden sharp pain ripped through his hand. The puppy's tiny teeth clamped down, startling him so much he let out a yell, more from shock than pain. The dog's grip was fierce, but when it looked up and saw Wei Ying's wide, terrified eyes, it let go, nudging a few bits of kibble back toward him, as if in apology.Wei Ying's vision blurred, his head light as if he were floating. The last thing he saw was the puppy's round, worried eyes as everything went dark.

When he opened his eyes again, the sterile brightness of hospital lights made him squint. A nurse's gentle face came into view, and he groggily took in her words as she explained his condition. "You're at Soochow Hospital. You have an infection from a dog bite on your hand and a fever," she said with a soft smile. "Your elder brother brought you in. He's been quite worried. I'll let him know you're awake."

Lan Zhan brought him in? Wei Ying felt a warmth beneath the lingering ache, a hidden smile tugging at his lips. Perhaps Lan Zhan had regretted leaving him. But as soon as the nurse continued, his heart fell.

"His name is Lan Xichen," she explained. "He's a student at the medical college nearby."

Wei Ying's smile vanished. Lan Zhan hadn't been the one to find him, after all. Yet another reminder of how far apart they'd become. He mumbled a word of thanks, barely listening as the nurse went on about his recovery. The IV drip fed him fluids and nutrients his body was starved for, but his heart felt hollow. As soon as she left, he pulled out the needle, ignoring the sting. The lingering rejection from Lan Zhan blurred his vision, and the familiar shiver of fear began creeping back over him.

In a daze, he slipped on a t-shirt and shorts he found in the nurse's locker room. He barely registered that they were a woman's clothes—they fit well enough for a twelve-year-old. Moving on autopilot, he wandered out of the hospital, the shivers clinging to him like an invisible cloak. At a nearby bus station, he climbed aboard the first bus he saw, his eyes fluttering closed as the hum of the engine lulled him into unconsciousness.

***When Wei Wuxian's eyelids fluttered open, the muted light of the Hanshi filtered into his room, casting a silvery glow across the quiet space. He lay still for a moment, gathering himself, then turned his gaze to the window, where he could make out the familiar silhouette of the Jingshi, veiled in morning mist. The air was hushed, thick with unspoken words, as he finally shifted his attention to Xue Yang, who sat with a steady, waiting presence at the edge of the bed.
"How long have you known?" Wei Wuxian's voice, though soft, pierced the silence.
Xue Yang's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "That you're A'Ying? Since yesterday, when you mentioned it to your Baba."
Wei Wuxian's brow furrowed, a flicker of resentment flaring in his eyes. "Mo Xuanyu had the nerve to pretend to be me just to get his attention!" His tone was a mix of frustration and bemusement.
"Yes," Xue Yang affirmed simply, though his gaze was thoughtful, watching Wei Wuxian process it all.
From the doorway, Lan Qiren's voice cut through the quiet, laced with a barely concealed exasperation. "My nephew is an idiot to have hurt you not once, but twice."
Wei Wuxian turned toward Lan Qiren, a tired smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "He didn't realize he was hurting me again." He hesitated, his expression softening into something vulnerable. "Baba, could I ask you a question?"
Lan Qiren's gaze softened. "Of course, A'Ying. What is it?"
Wei Wuxian's voice dropped to a whisper, laden with an old wound. "Where was Lan Zhan... the day I was left in the basement?"
Lan Qiren's expression shifted, and a troubled shadow crossed his face as he recalled, "He had gone to Nanjing. He left a note for Lan Huan and me, confessing what he thought he'd done to you... what he feared. Lan Zhan did not recall the fact that Lan Huan was not scheduled to return that night and was not informed of my trip to Beijing. When A'Huan returned the next morning, because he had forgotten an assignment, Lan Huan's priority was getting you medical care, but by the time I returned, you were already gone. I searched for you, desperately, but you were nowhere to be found." His voice softened, memories clouding his gaze. "I confronted Lan Zhan after that, and he didn't resist his punishment. Not a word of complaint. He knew... he knew he was wrong."
Wei Wuxian's face twisted with an ache he'd tried to bury. "Did he know that Huan-ge's dog was in the basement?"
Lan Qiren shook his head, his expression grim. "I never asked. But Lan Huan admitted he had been hiding the dog there because Lan Zhan asked him to get rid of it."
Wei Wuxian's face softened as understanding settled in his eyes. "So, he only wanted to frighten me... he didn't know I had a fever, that I'd lost my balance, twisted my ankle. He hadn't seen me since the afternoon before, he didn't know I hadn't eaten. He was just... caught up in his own guilt." Wei Wuxian paused, his voice thickening with the weight of memory. "He'd only just learned what had happened between us after eating one of those cursed, drugged cookies. He was too young to understand it... and too overwhelmed by fear and guilt. He was only fourteen."
Xue Yang's eyes widened, brows furrowing as he struggled to comprehend. "Wait... you're saying... he didn't..."
Wei Wuxian shook his head, his gaze steady. "No. Legally, it might've been called statutory rape because I was below the age of consent, but even he... he had been drugged. He remembered nothing. I argued with him about a similar situation recently, remember?"
Lan Qiren's face softened with dawning realization. "Lan Zhan... did not harm you?"
Wei Wuxian's eyes glistened with something akin to relief. "No, Baba. Absolutely not. I was the one who insisted on what happened between us. I didn't want him to bear it all alone." A quiet sigh escaped him as he gazed toward the window. "It was foolish of me... I should've sought help from Huan-ge, but I was too young, too naive. My body didn't handle it well, and I took longer to heal because I thought I could just... endure it. Then, on my journey to Beijing, the dog bite and fever caused me to lose most of my memories." He paused, the weight of truth finally sinking in. "But... now I remember."
Xue Yang's hand reached for his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Are you going to go back?"
Wei Wuxian shook his head. "Lan Wangji admitted that his feelings for his 'bunny' were mostly guilt and regret. If I return now and tell him who I am, that'll be the foundation of everything between us. I can't allow that. Lan Zhan let go of Wei Ying once for his own good. Now it's up to Lan Wangji to choose Wei Wuxian, without guilt or pity. If Mo Xuanyu was truly a fraud, then he'll find me on his own terms." He smiled, the warmth in his eyes like a promise to himself. "I'll wait."
Lan Qiren, silent all this time, stepped forward, his expression tender, almost vulnerable. "Then stay. Stay with your Baba. I... I've missed you, A'Ying."
Wei Wuxian's face softened, and he took his hand, feeling the warmth of family that he'd once lost. "Of course, Baba. There's no place like home."

A/N Finally back to the present. Let me know how you liked the revelation. Now it's time for Lan Wangji to face the truth. Do vote and comment.