WangXian: The Arrangement ✔️ [Untamed Fanfic]

19-Things You Don't Expect

Lan Xichen watched his brother at dinner. Both he and Wei Wuxian had been unaccounted for most of the day. Jiang Cheng had reported Wei Wuxian was not in his room. He'd discouraged anyone from going to Lan Wangji's.

Watching them now, he knew that had been the correct call. Wei Wuxian's left arm hung straight by his side as he ate and talked with the others. As did Lan Wangji's right.

No one else was likely to notice, but this made his brother smile. Lan Wangji was not left-handed. 

***

Wei Ying had been surprised to feel Lan Zhan's fingers slide in between his when he rested his hand on the bamboo mat they sat on at dinner. He was even more surprised that they stayed there throughout the entire meal. 

It made him smile, but he tried to play it cool in front of the others and Lan Zhan's uncle. 

If Lan Zhan wants to make out in public, this wedding can't come soon enough!

***

The next afternoon, Lan Xichen went himself to Lan Wangji's room to inform them that another visitor had come for Wei Wuxian.

He found Lan Wangji reading a book about magic and Wei Wuxian playing a basic tune on Wangji's guqin. Questions bombarded his mind, but he pushed them aside. In time, he was sure Lan Wangji would tell him anything he should know.

"Young Master Wei," he said, "someone has come with a message for you."

"Who is it?" Wei Ying asked.

Lan Xichen glanced at his brother. He'd lowered the book. "It is Wen Qing," he said. "She is asking to speak with you urgently."

Wei Wuxian hesitated. "Did she say what about?"

"She would not, but she seems quite agitated."

Wei Wuxian stood. "Come on, Lan Zhan," he said. "Let's go see what the lady requires."

***

"I'm not here representing Wen Clan," she said, after bowing to both of them. She glanced nervously at Lan Wangji before fixing her gaze on Wei Wuxian and soldiering on. "Wen Ling has been in my care since he returned to us. I am here on his behalf."

Lan Wangji stepped forward, but Wei Wuxian put his hand out. "What's the message?" Wei Ying asked her.

She swallowed and nodded. "He is dying. Of that, I am quite certain. As to the reason why... I can only speculate. But he is dying, and he is asking for you." 

Wei Ying felt Lan Zhan's anger. He knew it wasn't his own. He wasn't angry or even afraid. Just sad. Wen Ling had been very important to him once. There had been nothing he wouldn't dare, and nothing Wen Ling wouldn't see through to the end if once they'd started it. They had been quite the pair of adventurers. Before Wen Ling's father had traded him to the barbarian tribe that ruled the northern steppe. 

He looked at Lan Zhan, who he loved beyond all reason, and knew this would hurt him.

Lan Zhan obviously knew he wanted to go. His face had turned to stone. "I'll go with you," he said, voice low.

Wei Wuxian shook his head, then glanced back at Wen Qing. "If it's a trap, I'm going to be counting on you to come to my rescue."

A wave of pain washed over him. They hadn't been able to be more than a few feet from each other since the core-binding. Now he was planning to go away. To Wen Ling, no less. 

Yeah, I'm a bastard. 

"We'll leave first thing tomorrow," he said to Wen Qing. 

To Lan Zhan, there was little he could say.

***

Their lovemaking that night was tinged with hurt and desperation, but it still ended with Wei Ying feeling like Lan Zhan had transported him to some new dimension. 

"You know this is not me putting him before you, don't you?" he asked later, his head resting on Lan Zhan's chest.

"My mind knows that," Lan Zhan said. "It still hurts, though."

Wei Ying got up and threw on a robe. "I made you something," he said, pulling a red silk bag out of his pocket. 

Lan Zhan sat up and opened it, pulling out a single red thread. "What is this?"

Wei Ying gulped. "It's for you," he said. "In case you change your mind. Or in case I don't make it back. I've enchanted it, so you just have to tie it around the white thread that connects us now, and it will dissolve the core-binding."

Lan Zhan looked at it for a long while, then put it in a drawer. "I have something for you as well." He took a set of robes from a shelf and handed them to Wei Ying. "An early wedding present," he said, not meeting Wei Ying's gaze.

Wei Ying unfolded it, and white silk tumbled to the floor. It had clouds embroidered on the hems, just as all the Gusulan robes did, but these were silver, not blue. And the silver was bordered by a strip of black, a black belt, and black, white and silver ribbons hung from the shoulder clasps.

"You don't like it?" Lan Zhan asked when Wei Ying didn't say anything.

"You must know that I do," he said, his voice faltering. "When--?" It marked him as part of Lan clan, but also reflected who he had been, who he still was. "When did you do this?"

Lan Zhan shrugged. "I had it started the day after the conference." He gave Wei Ying a gentle shove. "Go put it in your room. I want you to wear it tomorrow."

Wei Ying followed his instructions, still feeling a little dazed.

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A/N:  Votes and comments appreciated!! :)