WangXian: The Arrangement ✔️ [Untamed Fanfic]

5-The Morning After

At half five the next morning, it was still pitch dark on Gusu Mountain, but Lan Xichen knew his brother would be up. The Gusulan clan rules stated that sleep would be taken from 9 to 5, and you could tell the time from Lan Wangji's rigid adherence to that schedule.

When he reached his brother's room, however, he found it empty.

Outside, another disciple was just coming off watch duty. "Lan Jinling," he called out. "Have you seen Lan Wangji?"

The boy nodded and pointed toward the guest quarters. "He's over there. Has been all night."

Lan Xichen raised his brows but waved the boy on his way. In a few minutes, he found Lan Wangji standing under a tree outside the cabin shared by the two male Jiang heirs.

"Lan Wangji," he said, moving to his brother's side.

"Brother."

"You've been here all night?"

Wangji nodded. "I feared Wen Ling might do harm to Wei Wuxian."

Surely, Wen Ling was more likely to come for Wangji than Wei Wuxian? Lan Xichen thought. He studied his brother's stern face. "I didn't get the impression Wen Ling bore Wei Wuxian any ill will. Are you sure that's what you feared?"

Wangji gave him a pointed look. "What else could there be?"

What else, indeed? He'd been shocked at Lan Wangji's actions in the assembly tonight. And then he'd felt guilty that Lan Wangji was the one, by virtue of being younger, who'd felt forced to take such drastic measures. But now... Perhaps his miraculously self-sufficient younger brother had finally found someone of interest to him?

***

By late morning, all the visiting clan members had departed from Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian had put a brave face on his goodbyes and now stood looking at their carts as they rolled through the gate and out of his life.

Hands clasped at his back, he turned and saw Lan Wangji walking toward him. 

"Wei Ying."

He wished he'd never told Lan Wangji to call him that. His mouth was always getting him into trouble. He forced a big smile. "Lan Zhan!"

Lan Wangji's stoic expression didn't change. "Come."

Wei Ying's steps faltered, but Wangji had already turned away. He stiffened his spine and followed the other man to his room.

"It's uh... very neat," Wei Wuxian commented, looking around. Bed, desk, lamp, books, and a seven-stringed guqin. "Will you play for me sometime?"

Lan Wangji turned and stared at him. He was handsome, damn him, Wei Wuxian thought. Any girl would kill for those lips. Too bad he's such an icy bastard.

"Is that really what you want to say?"

"Huh?" Could Lan Wangji hear his thoughts?

"Your priority right now is to ask me to play for you?"

Wei Wuxian's shoulders sagged in relief. "No, you're right," he said. "I guess I really want to ask you why you did it."

"Does that matter?"

Wei Wuxian scoffed. "What matters more? I'm going to take you as my family and make promises to you. Those are perhaps the only two things I take seriously. If you'll tell me what you hope to get out of this... marriage..." He couldn't help but hesitate. "I'll do my best to give it to you."

He was perversely happy to see Lan Wangji look shocked. Somehow, the day looked a little brighter if he could make Lan Wangji's eyes go wide and his mouth hang open. Wei Wuxian's smile returned, genuine this time.

"Don't talk nonsense," Wangji ordered. "The only thing I want from you is your loyalty to the Lan clan. More than that... do not embarrass me in front of others."

So much for the brighter day, Wei Wuxian thought. Icy bastard. "I guess I'll settle for embarrassing you in private then."

He closed the distance between them and quickly locked his hands around Lan Wangji's waist. If there had been more difference in their heights, he would have pulled him close. But Lan Wangji only topped him by an inch. If they were any closer, they'd be kissing. He didn't think Lan Zhan was ready for that. 

He couldn't help giving the lips he'd admired from a distance a closer look, though. They were scrumptious. He wondered if Lan Wangji would ever let him kiss them. Or would this be a political marriage only?

"I meant what I said, Lan Wangji."

Lan Zhan didn't seem to hear. 

Is he staring at my lips? Wei Wuxian wondered. "Lan Zhan!"

Lan Zhan looked at him. "Mn?"

"I meant it when I said I take family seriously. I don't want to lose one family without gaining another."

Lan Wangji opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he just nodded. 

"You really don't say much, do you?"

"Get off me."

"Why'd you have to start with that?"

***

Lunch consisted of herb broth with root vegetables and seaweed. Wei Wuxian tried to appreciate it; he really did. But the bowl seemed endless. He began pushing the vegetables around with his chopsticks and let out a sigh. His family wasn't the only thing he was going to miss from Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian realized.

"What's wrong?" Lan Zhan asked.

They were sitting next to each other, but Wei Ying was still surprised. For most of the meal, Lan Zhan had been the only one not looking at him. The news of their engagement seemed to have scandalized the other Lan clan disciples.

He gave Lan Zhan a half-hearted smile. "Nothing. Just not very hungry."

Lan Zhan frowned. "Eat."

Wei Ying looked down at the unappetizing liquid. "Lan Zhan, I know you aren't interested in worldly pleasures, but food should stimulate the tongue, not just fill the stomach. When we go to Lotus Pier, I will feed you the best things you've ever tasted."

He looked up when Lan Zhan didn't say anything. As usual, his face was a mask, but his eyes burned with a light Wei Ying had never seen before.

"Is that one of your promises?" Lan Zhan asked.

Wei Ying grinned. "Count on it, Lan Zhan."

***

"I need to speak with my uncle and brother," Lan Zhan told him when they finished eating. "I will take you to the Library. You can wait for me there."

The library at Cloud Recesses was famous for both its beauty and its extensive collection of ancient texts. Inside, wood gleamed and Wei Ying inhaled the scent of pine and paper. It reminded him of the time he, Jiang Cheng and Nie Huisang had got caught reading pornographic books from Huisang's uncle's private stash. He laughed at the memory.

"You are amused?" Lan Zhan asked him.

He shook his head. "Don't worry, Lan Zhan. I've yet to find you amusing. I was thinking of something else."

"Wait here until I come for you," Lan Zhan said, turning on his heel.

Wei Ying watched him go, back straighter than a bed board and realized he might have told a fib. He was beginning to find Lan Zhan quite amusing.