Drunken Mistake

DM 50

The next morning, Lan Wangji sat in the guest room at Lan Xichen's apartment, the soft light of dawn filtering through the sheer curtains. The tea on the desk beside him had gone cold, untouched. His phone rested on the lacquered surface, Xue Yang's message blinking on the screen, accompanied by a string of numbers: Lan Ying's contact.

Lan Wangji stared at the digits for a moment, his chest tightening. He had spent the night composing and deleting messages in his mind, trying to find the right words. The weight of the past bore down on him, but Wei Wuxian's words from the night before echoed in his mind: Start small. Message him.

Taking a deep breath, Lan Wangji picked up his phone and began typing.

***

Across the city, Wei Wuxian stretched lazily in bed, his phone buzzing beside him. He reached for it without looking, his fingers fumbling to unlock the screen. A message blinked up at him from an unknown number.

Hello. My name is Lan Wangji. I obtained your number from Xue Yang. May I speak with you?

Wei Wuxian sat up straighter, a grin spreading across his face. He tapped out a reply with deliberate slowness.

Sorry, wrong number. I don't know any Lan Wangji.

A few moments passed before the next message came.

Xue Yang mentioned you might know me as the proprietor of Lan Cyber Securities.

Wei Wuxian's grin widened. His fingers flew over the keyboard.

Oh! You mean Lan Cyber Securities, the subsidiary of Y-Tech, the ironclad guardians of the digital world? Of course, I know the company. What's this about? I am just a low level freelance graphic designer. 

The response was quick and cut through Wei Wuxian's playful tone like a blade.

This is Lan Zhan.

Wei Wuxian's smirk widened. He stared at the screen, feeling the significance of those three words on his Lan Zhan as fondness and pride settled in his chest. He let out a low snicker, though it felt more like a reflex than genuine amusement.

I owe you an apology. For the past. Lan Zhan quickly added.

Wei Wuxian blinked, then barked out a laugh, nearly dropping his phone. Oh, come on. Lan Zhan? My Lan Zhan? I mean Lan Zhan of Jingshi? Really? The stoic, rule-abiding, "actions speak louder than words" Lan Zhan sending heartfelt apologies over text?

Wei Wuxian deliberately wrote my Lan Zhan in the hopes that Lan Wangji would refute it. But he did not. He simply did not respond. The dots on the screen meant that he was typing something but nothing came. Wei Wuxian didn't mind. Still grinning, he typed his reply, letting a hint of surprise and hesitation creep into his tone.

Lan Zhan? You're serious? This isn't some elaborate prank Xue Yang cooked up, right? Because it doesn't sound like you.

A pause. Then:

It is me. I am sorry for everything I did to you.

Still, he typed back, his tone feigning hesitation.

Zhan Ge? Really? After all this time? I don't know what to say... Are you sure you have the person you want?

The reply came almost immediately.

Yes. And I am sorry. For everything. Lan Wangji repeated again. 

Wei Wuxian blinked, momentarily thrown. The words were stark, unadorned, carrying a gravity he hadn't expected. His fingers hovered over the keyboard before he finally typed.