Xue Yang bursts into the guest house, panting and red-faced with exertion, and Lan Qiren is already standing up in a panic, wondering what the emergency is.
"Running is prohibited in Cloud Recesses," his lips say automatically, and his heart melts when Xue Yang gives him two thumbs up, grinning mischievously. So forgiving, his little boy is.
"I'll be careful next time, Baba, but I thought you guys might want to see! Both of my Geges are fighting! With swords! Wei-Gege has one too, now, and they're amazing!"
Lan Qiren follows him out, Wei Changze hurrying behind him as they walk fast to where a crowd has gathered. They're all looking up onto the rooftop where two blurs of white are moving so fast, it's impossible to tell who is who, if it wasn't for their ribbons.
"They started in the training grounds," someone whispers nearby,
"I know, I was there and I followed them! They're amazing, and so well matched!" Another voice joins in.
"What style is Wei-Xiong using?"
"It's a combination ...I can see parts of the Lan Clan influence...but it can't be...is that the Jiang style mixed in? And some of those moves! Is he making it up as he goes?"
"Our Lan Er-Gongzi is no amateur! Look! He's keeping up with each strike, even coming close to catching him unguarded!"
"If he wasn't so fast, he'd be shredded to ribbons by now!" It is unclear who the speaker is referring to, since they're both equally fast, equally skilled.
Lan Qiren would have admonished them all for gossipping, except everything they're saying are just a reflection of his own thoughts as he watches the two fighters still sparring up there. They're a delight to behold, sparkling in the sky like two brilliant clashing stars caught in each other's gravity.
It started like this: Lan Zhan and Wei Ying walking past the training grounds and stopping to correct the forms of a couple of novice disciples, and moving on from that to the kids begging them to demonstrate a few harder moves, and then Wei Ying was summoning his sword with a wicked glint in his sharp granite eyes and a playful smirk on his lips as he suddenly turned to Lan Zhan.
"I'm feeling a little rusty, dear husband of mine. Wanna spar?"
"Mn."
Bichen is unsheathed in his hands even before he finishes speaking, and Wei Ying doesn't waste any time to attack. Sparks fly when their swords clash, blocks meeting strike after strike on both sides, and each time Lan Zhan tries to catch Wei Ying by surprise, the wily man dances out of reach by such a narrow margin, it feels like he's waiting around on purpose. Their feet are as light as the pitter-patter of spring rain. They're swirling out of range of the other's weapon, but it's as if Suibian is teasing each reaction out of the sturdier, heavier Bichen, withdrawing in a flash and then attacking on the rebound without stopping.
Lan Zhan's laugh surprises them both, the sheer delight of having an equal somewhere in the world, and the joy of being able to meet them like this. To lunge and be dodged, simultaneously being attacked in the same breath, Lan Zhan hasn't been challenged like this...not in this life. Wei Ying is stunned by the calculating glint in those brilliant golden eyes enough not to block Bichen in time, but his body is functioning on muscle memory in that split second and he twists away just in time, exhilaration bubbling with joy out of his lungs. He's out of breath for the first time in forever, and now they're both trying harder than ever to win.
This is what he's always loved; Lan Zhan's trust and faith in him, not to go easy on him just because they're married, or going to be, pushing Wei Ying to be better and better, to think on the spot, to come up with split second strategies that are changing moment by moment - this is what he's missed. Doing it, and pushing Lan Zhan back in exactly the same way. This strengthening of their dynamic is because they love each other, they want the other to win much more than a personal victory, and the realisation of this truth is worth more than the greatest treasure.
