Drunken Mistake

DM 54

Lan Wangji sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, the soft glow of a single desk lamp casting shadows across the bookshelves lining the walls. The untouched takeout sat on the low table, its contents growing cold and unappetizing. He stared at the empty space where his guqin usually rested, but the thought of playing brought him no comfort tonight.

His gaze flickered to his phone lying beside him. The temptation to call Xue Yang crossed his mind, but what would he say? What would he talk about? Work? He hadn't been to the office in weeks, and his so-called "interim leave" was turning into a glaring absence.

Instead, his fingers hovered over a different name in his contacts: A'Ying.

The impulse was quick and decisive. His thumbs moved over the keyboard.

"What's up?"

He hit send before he could overthink it. The emptiness in the room seemed to deepen as he stared at the phone, waiting for a response.

---

The dining room hummed with quiet conversation, bowls clinking softly against polished wood as the evening meal came to an end. Wei Wuxian leaned back, content, until the buzz of his cellphone broke the tranquility.

Lan Qiren's sharp gaze flicked toward him. "No phones at the dining table."

Wei Wuxian winced, pulling the offending device from his pocket. "Sorry, I forgot to silence the other one."

The name on the screen stopped him cold: Lan Wangji.

He blinked, momentarily stunned, before composing himself and tapping out a quick reply."Having dinner at Hanshi. Text later."

Lan Qiren's eyes narrowed knowingly. "Someone more important than Lan rules?"

Wei Wuxian's cheeks warmed, but he nodded. "My Lan," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Mianmian rolled her eyes, her teasing grin practically audible.

Lan Qiren let it pass without further comment.

---

At Hanshi, Wei Wuxian tucked his phone into his pocket and stood up. The evening was winding down, and the familiar comforts of the Lan residence surrounded him, grounding him even as his thoughts tugged in another direction. Lan Qiren had retired to his study, Mianmian had excused herself with a teasing smirk, and the servants had begun clearing the dining room.

He found himself drawn to the courtyard, where the crisp night air helped clear his mind. Only then did he pull out his phone again, staring at the short exchange with Lan Wangji. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating for a moment before typing.

"Sorry about earlier. Your uncle has strict dining table rules." He added a lighthearted emoji, one he knew would be met with either bemusement or indifference.

The reply came almost instantly, as if Lan Wangji had been waiting. "No need to apologize."
Wei Wuxian smiled to himself. He could almost picture Lan Wangji's stoic expression as he typed. 

But behind that, he imagined the faintest trace of warmth—a quiet yearning that mirrored his own.

"What's wrong?" Wei Wuxian sent after a pause. "You don't usually text during meals either." After he sent the text he berated himself. A'Ying and Lan Zhan had one text message since they had mobile phones. How could A'Ying know that Lan Zhan doesn't text during meals.

Lan Zhan took a few minutes to respond but those minutes were extremely wrong for Wei Wuxian. "I thought it would be rude to interrupt your dinner."