Drunken Mistake

DM 45

Lan Qiren's voice trembled slightly as he repeated the question, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. "Wangji is really coming back?"
Wei Ying leaned against the lacquered desk, a finger tracing absent patterns on the polished wood. His usual grin was absent, replaced by a furrow of thought. "He's coming back, Uncle," he confirmed. "I is going to call Huan Ge this morning. Wangji said that he'll ask him to look for an apartment in Suzhou. But..." He hesitated, biting his lip. "I don't understand how he's going to manage. Y-Tech isn't just big, it's massive. It's a global beast. How do you uproot that and still keep it running smoothly?"
Lan Qiren hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps he intends to leave the structure intact in Beijing and only shift the headquarters here. That would require only a core team, some office space, and—"
"It's not the logistics that bother me," Wei Ying interrupted, his tone sharper than usual. "It's—" He stopped mid-sentence, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated. Let's just say his arrival here could... unravel things I've kept tightly wound."
Lan Qiren's discerning gaze narrowed. "You mean maintaining your dual identity. It will be harder with him right here, won't it?"
Wei Ying nodded slowly. "Exactly. That's why I need to see Mianmian Jie. She's a psychiatrist, so she can help me figure out if what I'm doing is even sane. Plus..." He trailed off, his voice growing softer. "She's one of Wangji's friends who doesn't answer to him. Unlike Xue Yang. Ever since that mysterious one-on-one with Wangji, he's been... closed off. I have no clue what they talked about."
Lan Qiren's brow furrowed deeply. "Why not ask him directly? You seem to trust him enough."
Wei Ying gave a wry laugh. "Trust Xue Yang? He's an enigma wrapped in a riddle. You could sit down with him for hours, share jokes, laugh, and still not know what's really going on in his head. I did ask, in my way. He shut me down. Said something about feeling like a toy being passed between siblings."
Lan Qiren frowned, his lips pressed into a tight line. "And what did you say to that?"
Wei Ying sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I told him I didn't want to steal Wangji's friend, but... I wanted him to be my friend first."
"And his reply?"
Wei Ying's face twisted with frustration. "That was his reply! That cryptic nonsense about being passed around. What else could I do?"
Before Lan Qiren could respond, the sliding door of the Hanshi opened. The soft click of boots against the floor echoed, and in stepped Xue Yang. His expression was as unreadable as ever, but his gait carried a casual confidence, the kind of spring that suggested a man who thrived on chaos.
"A'Yang," Lan Qiren called out, his tone far gentler than usual. "A'Ying is worried. About how my manipulative nephew dealt with you."
Xue Yang stopped mid-step, his sharp eyes darting between the two. "You're worried about me?" His voice held genuine surprise, a rare crack in his otherwise impenetrable demeanor.
Wei Ying blinked at him. "Of course I'm worried! You've been avoiding me ever since you made that... remark about being passed around like a toy."
Xue Yang let out a soft chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, that." He waved it off as though it were a passing breeze. "Well, Wangji did sort of try to manipulate me. But it wasn't anything sinister. He was actually... encouraging me to be a better friend to you."
Wei Ying tilted his head, confusion evident. "Encouraging you? How?"
Xue Yang smirked, his voice dropping to mimic Wangji's measured tone. "'Xue Yang, you have a knack for understanding people, even if you don't always show it. Wei Ying needs someone who can keep him grounded. Be there for him. Be a good friend.'" He let out a short laugh. "It was almost... touching. If it weren't so unnerving coming from someone like him."
Wei Ying's jaw dropped. "That's what he said? That's all?"
"It was the crux of it. Then there was business, about Y-Tech, rescinding the resignation, etc." Xue Yang shrugged. "You'd think he was asking me to babysit his favorite pet."
Wei Ying's face turned crimson, his indignation barely contained. "Pet?!"
Lan Qiren shook his head, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "That manipulative nephew of mine indeed. What else did you discuss and I need to know."***The air in the room shifted the moment Lan Wangji gestured to the chair opposite him. "Please, take a seat, Yangyang," he said, his voice steady, his tone maddeningly composed.
Xue Yang froze mid-step, his grin faltering. That name. Oh, that name. It was a harbinger of doom wrapped in faux affection. The last time Lan Wangji had called him that, the eleven-year-old in him had bawled like a baby and confessed every misdeed, landing himself a cozy three-year stint in state-run juvie. He took the offered seat but not without a defensive quirk of his eyebrow. "What do you want?"
Lan Wangji leaned forward, his elbows resting lightly on the table, as if they were just two old friends catching up. "I made a mistake," he said, his voice as solemn as ever. "Can you forgive me?"
Xue Yang's head tilted, curiosity sharpening his gaze. "Exactly which mistake are we talking about here? Hurting A'Xian? Trusting that snake Xuanyu? Or doubting me?" His tone was all nonchalance, but the words had teeth.
"All of the above," Lan Wangji admitted without so much as a blink.
Xue Yang gave a low whistle, reclining in his seat. "Well, look at you, Hanguang-jun, throwing yourself on the mercy of the court." He paused, lips curling into a faint smirk. "Fine. Forgiven. Not that it's a fair trade—your apology for everything I owe you—but forgiven nonetheless. For the record, I probably should've told you where A'Xian was earlier. But hey, someone had to let you stew in the misery of what you lost. Call it tough love."
Lan Wangji took the jab in stride, his expression as unreadable as ever. "His Baba—what kind of man is he?"
"Oh, you'd love him," Xue Yang quipped, the sarcasm barely veiled. "Kind, disciplined, loving. In short, a textbook Lan. Need me to break out a thesaurus?"
Lan Wangji's gaze dropped to the table, his fingers tightening fractionally on the edge. "Does he know A'Xian is a Lan too?"
Xue Yang nodded, his smirk softening just a touch. "He knows. But A'Xian also told him you're getting divorced. Which, if we're being honest, doesn't exactly scream 'stable husband material.'"
The comment landed like a well-aimed dart, but Lan Wangji didn't flinch. Instead, he asked, "Do you think he'll accept me after what I've done?"
"Depends," Xue Yang said, crossing his legs and leaning back. "Are we talking about what you've done now or what you did back when you weren't even legal? Because, let's be real, this is the Cloud Recesses, the home that practically shoved you out the door with a 'don't come back till you're grown.'"
"I wasn't exiled," Lan Wangji corrected, his voice steady but tinged with something heavier. "I was forbidden from returning until I reached adulthood. After that, it was my choice not to go back. I wasn't ready to face... Ying'er's memories."
"And now?" Xue Yang pressed, his eyes narrowing.
Lan Wangji's jaw set with determination. "Now, I don't have a choice. I choose A'Xian, and I will stick with that decision."
Xue Yang tilted his head, considering him for a long moment. "What do you want from me, apart from information?"
Lan Wangji straightened, his gaze meeting Xue Yang's squarely. "I'm moving Y-Tech to Suzhou, but I don't want it to be Y-Tech anymore. I don't want anything tied to Ying'er. I'm done practicing as Hanguang-jun. I want to leave all of it behind. Start fresh. If you want Y-Tech, you can keep it—rename it Yang-Tech if it suits you. I'll take my share and build something new. Maybe cyber security, maybe digital trading. Help me, Xue Yang. Everyone deserves a fresh start, and I need mine."
For the first time in their conversation, Xue Yang looked genuinely flustered. He blinked, leaning forward as if to confirm that the stoic Lan Wangji was actually sitting there, asking for his help. "Y-Tech's a global brand. Dismantling it would be a colossal waste. You could just... think of it as Yang Tech in your head. No one else has to know. The name doesn't even explicitly tie to A'Ying. But if you're set on starting something new, cyber security's a good field, and you've got the expertise. Start a subsidiary in Suzhou—Lan Cyber, Wei Cyber, whatever. Y-Tech has the cash flow to make it work without breaking a sweat. Hell, if I'm going to keep supporting A'Xian, I might as well move my office to Suzhou too. We could share space if Lan Cyber operates under Y-Tech. It's just logistics."
Lan Wangji sighed, the weight of his struggles momentarily lifting. "I'll leave it to you. Without A'Xian, I'm... useless. My mind isn't in the game anymore. I'll ask Xichen to find me a place to stay nearby. A'Xian is in the Cloud Recesses, right? There are properties around there, though I might avoid the house I already have. Too many memories of Ying'er."
Xue Yang stood abruptly, his tone sharper than usual. "I'll help you, but you need to pull yourself together. You're a mess, and frankly, I can't stand seeing you like this. Got it?"
Lan Wangji gave a rare nod of acquiescence, his resolve seeming a touch firmer. And just like that, the air between them shifted again, falling back into its usual rhythm—a strange balance of sarcasm, sincerity, and an unspoken camaraderie.***"He's a mess and it's all because of me," Wei Wuxian lamented on listening to Xue Yang narrate his conversation. Xue Yang leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, grinning like a cat that had just stolen the cream. "A'Ying, Wangji has been a mess for as long as I've known him, and trust me, it's not your fault. That man is addicted to misery the way some people are addicted to sweets. He practically marinates in self-pity. The real issue is that he thrives on feeling unwanted—it's like his emotional security blanket. But you know what's going to ruin all that for him?"
Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow, not quite ready for the impending verbal ambush. "What?"
"The moment he figures out that you want him for him—no strings, no caveats—it's going to blow his entire worldview. He won't know what hit him. So stop sulking about how 'it's all your fault' and start strategizing how you're going to handle the man once he's here," Xue Yang teased, leaning forward conspiratorially. "And don't forget—you can't let him know you're Ying'er yet."
Wei Wuxian groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "Don't remind me. It's stressful enough without you rubbing it in."
Lan Qiren, who had been quietly sipping his tea, set his cup down with a soft clink. "Speaking of preparations, the location assigned for Wei Software has an adjacent apartment block. Fully furnished and ready for use. I've already booked two separate apartments—one for you and one for Xue Yang. Just in case Wangji decides to spend the night now and then you'll need the separate apartment," he added, his tone perfectly neutral, but his eyes twinkling mischievously. "After all, you are still legally married."
The comment hit like a well-aimed arrow. Wei Wuxian's face flamed a deep red, and he sputtered, "Baba!"
Xue Yang wasn't about to let that golden opportunity slide. "I hope their apartment is soundproofed," he drawled, his grin widening into a wicked smirk. "These two are loud. Poor Dr. Luo had to flee Beijing after her visit—you practically drove her out of the house with all that noise."
"Stop it!" Wei Wuxian protested, throwing a cushion at Xue Yang, who dodged with the ease of someone who had been tormenting people his entire life. "You're insufferable!"
Xue Yang only shrugged, his expression one of pure innocence. "I'm just saying what everyone else is too polite to mention."
Lan Qiren coughed delicately into his hand, though his lips twitched at the corners. "Enough teasing, A'Yang. A'Ying, earlier mentioned something—we'll need to meet Mianmian soon to explain that you're Ying'er. It's important that she understands the situation."
Wei Wuxian groaned again, burying his face in his hands. "Can't we deal with one disaster at a time? I already feel like I'm juggling flaming swords here."
"And you'll keep juggling," Xue Yang said with a smirk, leaning back as if to savor his victory. "Because if there's one thing you're good at, A'Ying, it's turning chaos into art."

A/N Another filler chapter before the literal chaos ensued. It's two love triangles. Wei Wuxian-Lan Wangji- Wei Ying and Xue Yang-Xiao Xingchen-Song Lan, all at once. Enjoy. 

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