Moonlit Hearts

Epilogue II - Winter Lanterns

Snow came to the Cloud Recesses in a way that softened even its rules. It gathered along the tiled roofs and pine branches, dusted the stone paths, and muted the sharp edges of sound. By afternoon, the courtyards were white and waiting.

Wei Ying took one look and declared, "This is criminally underused."

Wangji, adjusting his outer robe, replied calmly, "It is winter."

"Yes, Lan Zhan, and winter is interactive."

The juniors had been granted the outer courtyards for festival preparations, which unsurprisingly meant the decorations were only half finished and the snow was already being repurposed. Jingyi was the first to start it, Jin Ling the first to object, and Sizhui the first to be caught in the middle trying to mediate.

Xuanyu arrived just in time to witness Jingyi packing snow with far too much enthusiasm.

"Do not throw that," Sizhui warned.

"I absolutely will"

The snowball flew. It missed Jingyi's intended target entirely and struck Xuanyu squarely in the shoulder.

There was a brief, collective silence.

Xuanyu blinked, looking down at the snow slowly sliding from his sleeve. Then he looked up.

Jingyi froze. "I..uh..greetings, Xuanyu-xiong?"

Xuanyu stared at him for a long moment. Then, very deliberately, he bent down and scooped up a handful of snow.

Wei Ying, watching from the steps, straightened. "Oh. Oh, this just got good."

Xuanyu's throw was not fast, nor particularly accurate but it hit Jingyi directly in the chest. Jingyi yelped, staggered back, and immediately broke into laughter.

"That's fair," Jingyi said, laughing. "Completely fair."

Chaos followed immediately.

Sizhui was drawn in despite his protests, Jin Ling declared the fight "already lost but worth it," and snow began flying in earnest.

Wei Ying watched from the steps for exactly half a minute before a snowball struck the back of his neck.

He gasped, offended. "Who dares?"

No one confessed. Several people fled.

Wei Ying rolled up his sleeves. "Lan Zhan," he said brightly, turning around.

Wangji had already anticipated this. "No."

Wei Ying grabbed his wrist anyway. "One throw. For morale."

"This is improper."

Wei Ying was already pulling him forward. "You survived burial mounds. You can survive snow."

A snowball hit Wangji's sleeve.

He stopped.

Without a word, very slowly, Wangji bent down, gathered snow with careful precision, and shaped it with impeccable technique.

The juniors instinctively went silent and still.

Wei Ying's grin widened. "Oh, I recognize that look, That's my husband!."

Wangji threw.

The snowball struck Jingyi squarely in the shoulder. It was devastatingly accurate.

Jingyi stared at the snow sliding off his shoulder, stunned. "Hanguang-jun..?"

"Posture," Wangji said calmly. "Your stance is unbalanced. You left your side open."

Xuanyu laughed, quiet at first, then real, unguarded.