Moonlit Hearts

Chapter 64: Bones of a New World

Lan Wangji stepped around a stack of cut lumber, sleeves tied back, hair still damp from washing. The courtyard buzzed with low conversation, the scrape of tools, and the steady rhythm of rebuilding. The air smelled of sawdust and morning.

Sizhui was already directing a crew of cultivators and volunteers, gesturing calmly but firmly toward a half-rebuilt support beam. Jingyi stood next to him, arms crossed, chewing a strip of dried plum like it was a serious strategic decision.

Wangji noted the faint shadows under Sizhui’s eyes. He wasn’t pushing himself quite so recklessly anymore, but the days were still long, and rest often came late.

Wei Wuxian crouched by the edge of the path, sorting tiles. He looked up when Lan Wangji approached, a grin forming before he even spoke. “Perfect timing. I was just about to start bribing someone with tea to carry these.”

“I’m here,” Wangji said, kneeling to lift a pair of heavier ones.

Wei Wuxian brushed his fingers along Lan Wangji’s wrist—brief, warm. “You didn’t have to help today.”

“I want to.”

“Good,” Wei Ying said simply. “Then I won’t feel guilty about making you carry the heaviest ones.”

Lan Wangji gave him a faint look. Wei Wuxian smiled wider.

The morning passed with quiet coordination. Wen Qing joined them by mid-morning, sleeves rolled, hair pinned up in a practical twist. She worked without pause, occasionally sending Wen Ning off to fetch supplies or redirecting cultivators with sharp precision.

By midday, the partial frame of the outer hall was taking shape. Sizhui climbed down from a platform and took a long drink of water, sweat dampening the collar of his robes.

“You should rest a moment,” Wangji said as he passed him a fresh cloth.

Sizhui hesitated. “I will. Just... after this section.”

“You said that an hour ago.”

Sizhui glanced down, almost sheepish. “I’m trying not to waste momentum.”

“Momentum requires strength,” Wangji said. “Don’t spend all of it at once.”

Jingyi came jogging over, half-covered in dust. “I told him that too! He glared at me.”

“I did not glare.”

“Okay, you squinted very firmly.”

Lan Wangji gave Sizhui a look that said listen to him, even if he’s being annoying. Sizhui gave a reluctant nod and finally sat.

By early afternoon, the workers began to slow. Tools were stacked, a few plates of simple food passed around. Wei Wuxian leaned against one of the half-finished beams beside Lan Wangji, brushing his fingers over the smoothed surface.

“It’s starting to look like something,” he said, voice low. “Not what it was, but maybe that’s alright.”

Wangji looked out over the courtyard—half ruin, half foundation. “It is.”

Wei Ying nudged his arm. “You’ve been quiet.”

“I’m thinking.”

“Dangerous.”

Lan Wangji huffed softly. Wei Ying tilted his head, watching him with a softer expression now.

“You’ve changed too, you know,” he said. “Not just Xuanyu. You.”

Lan Wangji looked at him. “Is that alright with you?”

Wei Ying leaned close enough that their shoulders brushed. “Of course it is. I liked you before. I like you now.”