Drunken Mistake

Epilogue

Seven months into their married life, Lan Wangji happened upon an old book while tidying up a forgotten corner of the his Beijing apartment. They had tied off all the work on their ends and were looking forward to start fresh at Cloud Recesses. The book's cover was faded, wrapped meticulously in transparent plastic to preserve it. His heart stilled as he recognized it immediately: a mathematics puzzle book, one he and Wei Ying had spent a magical afternoon solving together during their teenage years.

But there was something different about this copy. As Lan Wangji turned it over in his hands, he noted the publication date—a year after Wei Ying had gone missing. It was a vague memory. Intrigued, he flipped to the preface. His breath caught.

There, in elegant script, the author had dedicated the edition to Lan Zhan and Lan Ying, the teenagers who had uncovered a significant error in the original text, an error missed even by seasoned mathematicians. The words blurred before Lan Wangji’s eyes as a surge of bittersweet emotion overwhelmed him.

He carefully wrapped the book again and tucked it away, his mind made up.

***

On the twentieth anniversary of their first meeting, the night was quiet, save for the soft rustle of wind through the bamboo outside their Jingshi. Wei Wuxian was sprawled on the bed, his head resting on Lan Wangji’s lap as he recounted yet another wild tale of his younger days, hands gesticulating wildly, eyes sparkling with laughter.

“Lan Zhan, you should’ve seen me then—absolute genius, unmatched charm—oh, but of course, you already knew that. You did marry me, after all,” Wei Wuxian teased, grinning up at him.

Lan Wangji hummed softly, a barely-there smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"If I had gone to Nanjing we could have grown up together," Wei Wuxian pined.

"Hmm," Lan Wangji concurred. "Do you know the significance of today's date?" He asked.

"It's not the Spring Festival, is it?" Wei Wuxian asked in confusion.

"It's the start of the Session break for most schools. It's the day we first met twenty years ago," Lan Zhan recalled.

"You remember the date?" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.

"I remember the moment Wei Ying. You took my breath away," Lan Zhan admitted.

"Oh Lan-er-gege," Wei Wuxian gushed.

"Ying'er," Lan Wangji reciprocated. Then, without a word, he reached over to the side table and retrieved the carefully wrapped book.

“For you,” he said simply, placing it in Wei Wuxian’s hands.

Wei Wuxian sat up, curious. “What’s this?” His nimble fingers unwrapped the plastic. The moment he saw the cover, his eyes widened, his breath catching audibly.

“This… this is our book!” he exclaimed, his voice rising in excitement. “The puzzle book we solved together! Lan Zhan, where did you find this?”

“Among my old books,” Lan Wangji answered, his tone steady, though a faint blush was already creeping up his neck.

Wei Wuxian opened the book, flipping through the familiar pages. Then his fingers froze as his gaze fell on the preface. He read it once, then again, his lips moving silently over the words. When he looked up, his eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

“Lan Zhan… they mentioned us,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Lan Zhan and Lan Ying… They remembered us.”

Lan Wangji nodded, his ears now an unmistakable shade of red. “You made an impact,” he said softly. “You always do.”

For a moment, Wei Wuxian was silent, clutching the book to his chest as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. Then, in true Wei Wuxian fashion, he launched himself at Lan Wangji, tackling him back onto the bed in a flurry of limbs and unrestrained emotion.

“Lan Zhan!” he cried, his voice high with delight. “This is the most romantic thing ever! You found our book! You kept it for this! You’re perfect, absolutely perfect, how did I get so lucky?”

Lan Wangji’s face turned an even deeper shade of red as Wei Wuxian peppered kisses across his face, his enthusiasm uncontainable. “Wei Ying…I chased you in the wrong places for the longest time but it had always been you.”

“No, no, don’t you ‘Wei Ying’ me! You were misled, way led, duped and cheated. The only thing I can blame you for is being a fool in love. But so am I. Let me love you properly for this. Lan Zhan, you’re amazing. You’re the most thoughtful, most wonderful—”

Lan Wangji let out a quiet sigh, though his arms came up to hold Wei Wuxian close, his fingers threading through his hair. He was used to Wei Wuxian’s exuberance by now, but that didn’t stop his heart from fluttering every time.

As Wei Wuxian finally settled, lying half on top of him with the book clutched tightly in one hand, Lan Wangji allowed himself a rare, indulgent smile.

“It was a good memory,” he said softly, his voice carrying a warmth that made Wei Wuxian pause, his gaze turning tender.

“It was the best,” Wei Wuxian replied, his voice quieter now. He traced the edge of the book with a reverent finger. “And now it’s even better.”

They lay there in silence, the book resting between them like a bridge to their shared past, a testament to everything they’d been through and everything they’d built together.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian murmured after a while, “this is why I love you.”

Lan Wangji’s blush deepened, but his hold on Wei Wuxian tightened, his heart full. “And I, you,” he whispered.

The night stretched on, warm and peaceful, as they cherished a love that had stood the test of time.

A/N This epilogue is as per the request of 24ayanna10. Hope this satisfies you deary. I promise another one after I'm done with the sequels.