He never actually expected Lan WangJi to drink with him, and simply finished the liquor in his own cup. However, staring silently at him, Lan WangJi gently swept his own sleeves aside. He poured a cup for himself as well and, after a pause, he slowly downed the liquor.
Wei WuXian was quite surprised, "HanGuang-Jun, you really are considerate, aren't you? You're really gonna drink with me?"
The last time they drank together, Wei WuXian didn't pay much attention to Lan WangJi's expression. This time, however, he went out of his way to scrutinize it.
Lan WangJi closed his eyelids when he drank. With a faint frown, he finished the liquor, and only opened his eyes again after subtly pursing up his lips. A blanket of mist even seemed to have fallen over his eyes.
Resting his chin in his hand, Wei WuXian started to count in silence. As he had expected, when he reached the number eight, Lan WangJi put the cup down. He touched his forehead, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Wei WuXian was completely convinced-Lan WangJi really did fall asleep before he woke up drunk!
For some unknown reason, he was starting to feel a bit eager. Finishing all of the leftover liquor in one gulp, Wei WuXian stood up and paced around the room, his hands folded behind him. After a while, he walked toward Lan WangJi, bent down, and whispered by his ear, "Lan Zhan?"
There was no reply. Wei WuXian continued, "WangJi-xiong?"
Lan WangJi was leaning his head on his right hand. His breathing was calmer than ever.
Both his features and the hand at his forehead were impeccably fair in color. He looked as if he was a piece of fine jade.
The faint fragrance of sandalwood that surrounded him had originally been cold, somewhat grim. Now, however, as it combined with the liquor's mellow aroma, a few tinges of warmth rippled through the coldness. As though a saccharine whisp had wound its way through, the scent could almost be described as intoxicating.
Now that Wei WuXian was near enough, the scent intertwined with his breaths. He couldn't help but bent down further so that he was even closer to Lan WangJi. Vaguely, he thought to himself, Strange... Why is it starting to feel a bit hot in here?
Amid the fusion of liquor and sandalwood, his face inched nearer and nearer, while he himself didn't notice it at all. His voice had lowered as well. In an almost teasing manner, he murmured, "Second... Bro-..."
Suddenly, a voice entered his ears, "Young Master..."
Wei WuXian's face was already less than an inch away from Lan WangJi's. The word "Brother" was at the tip of his tongue as well. Startled by the sound, he almost fell onto the ground with a slip of his feet.
He immediately positioned himself in front of Lan WangJi. Then, he turned to the wooden windows of where the voice came from.
A careful knock could be heard through the windows, then a small voice drifted through the slit, "Young Master..."
Wei WuXian finally noticed that his heart was beating a bit too fast. He puzzled over it again, then regained his composure. Walking over, he raised the window to see a black-clothed figure dangling upside-down with legs hung at the roof, preparing to knock once more. Wei WuXian quickly opened the window, which bumped into the person's head. The figure exclaimed with a light ah. Holding the windows back with both of his hands, he finally made eye contact with Wei WuXian.
A cold breeze barged into the room. Wen Ning's eyes were opened, no longer an ashen white, but instead filled with a pair of black, silent pupils.
The two stayed like this, one standing, one hanging, and stared at each other for a few moments.
