Back To the Past

Chapter Twenty One

Lan Wangji does not worry. He tells himself he doesn't need to.

Wei Wuxian has brought the entire Wen Clan to its knees before; chaos bends for him, and enemies crumble under his laughter. What could a lone Wen do now?

Nothing.

So no, he does not worry.

But the thought of Wei Ying alone unsettles something deep in his chest, not because he doubts Wei Ying's strength, but because he's not there. Because there's always that chance, that horrible, sliver-thin chance, that something will happen, and Wei Ying will smile through the pain and whisper, It's nothing, when it's everything.

They've agreed to live quietly, to rewrite their story in shadows, not fire. But Lan Wangji has never agreed to let Wei Ying face danger alone.

"It's gone quiet..." Jiang Cheng mutters, standing rigid in front of the towering doors to the hall. His grip tightens on Sandu. "But they're in there. The resentment... It's thick."

Lan Wangji says nothing.

He lifts his leg and kicks the doors open in one fluid, controlled motion, elegant, unshakable, absolute.

And there he is.

Wei Wuxian stands at the heart of the room, robes windswept and charged with dark energy, his fingers mid-spell. Wen Xu lies sprawled on the floor nearby, barely conscious, gasping, small.

But Lan Wangji does not look at him.
He only sees one person.

"Wei Ying," he says in a low and unwavering tone.

Wei Wuxian's head snaps up. For a moment, his expression is clouded and unreadable, but then it shatters into a soft, radiant smile, sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

"My Hanguang-jun," he says, voice tinged with mischief and relief. "Took you long enough."

Lan Wangji doesn't care for the resentment swirling around him. Only the thought of having Wei Ying in his arms makes his walk faster. 

A soft gasp escapes Wei Ying, followed by a breathless chuckle that melts into the curve of Lan Zhan's shoulder. He exhales a sigh so full of trust and quiet love, the kind that says I'm safe here... because it's you.

Everything else fades.

The ruined hall. The flickering talismans. Even the shallow rasp of Wen Xu's breath. None of it exists. Not when Wei Ying is in his arms.

"Lan Zhan..." he murmurs, softer than a whisper. "I'm okay."

"Mn... I know..."

Lan Wangji holds him closer, arms strong, steady, unwilling to let go, as if he's afraid that the moment he does, the world will take Wei Ying from him all over again. 

"Made mistake."

Wei Ying looks up, his gaze questioning. 

"How can Lan-er gege  make mistakes, hm?" His face breaks into a teasing smile. 

"I should not have let you go alone," Lan Wangji says, voice low and clipped, the weight of everything he didn't say vibrating just beneath the surface.

Wei Wuxian's smile falters slightly. "You trust me, don't you?"

"With my life," Lan Wangji answers. "But not theirs."

He doesn't mean Wen Xu. He means the world. He means every shadow that ever looked too long at Wei Ying, every clan that once turned their backs, every thread of resentment that still dares to linger around the man he loves. Every regret that he secretly carries. Every pain which haunts him everywhere he goes.