Lan WangJi didn't listen to him. His eyes were still glued to Wei WuXian as though he was scared that if he blinked once, Wei WuXian might run away. Wei WuXian reached out to shut his eyes, and he buried the lower half of his face into the water, letting out a series of bubbles. Wei WuXian laughed as he lightly pinched his cheek, "Er-Gege, how old are you?"
He grabbed the soap and cloth from the side, and wiped from Lan WangJi's face downwards. As he wiped away, his movements suddenly paused.
Back then, Lan WangJi took off his hair tie and forehead ribbon on his own. His hair fell and covered his upper body. But now, after he moved Lan WangJi's wet, black hair behind his shoulder and began to wipe his chest, the thirty-or-so discipline whip marks and the brand at his chest could be seen with clarity.
Wei WuXian took the cloth and moved to his back.
The whip marks climbed from Lan WangJi's back all the way to his chest, shoulders, arms, sprawling across the smooth, white skin. These almost hideous scars, whether dark or light, destroyed what could be called the perfect male body.
"..."
Wei WuXian was suddenly silent. He dipped the cloth in water and traced the whip scars.
He was extremely gentle, as if he didn't want to hurt Lan WangJi, but these were old wounds already. They'd never hurt again. And even if they were fresh scars, with Lan WangJi's personality, he definitely wouldn't display a single sign of weakness, even at the most painful times.
Wei WuXian really wanted to use this opportunity to ask him just how in the world he got these scars. In the GusuLan Sect, the only people with the right to punish Lan WangJi like this were Lan XiChen and Lan QiRen. Just what did he do for his brother, the one closest to him, or his uncle, the one who single-handedly brought him up and took pride in him so much, to do such a cruel deed? The QishanWen Sect's brand that he'd never seen, and the question that he'd always held in the back of his mind, the question he wanted to ask the most-
HanGuang-Jun, just what do you think of me?
But every time it was close, he'd find some reason to blur things over. Like maybe he shouldn't be so eager and ask after he played with him long enough; like not being so casual and asking after they sat down properly; like maybe the words of the drunk weren't to be trusted.
Despite all these excuses, he knew the real reason quite well.
It was probably because he was afraid. He was scared he'd hear an answer different from what he hoped for.
Suddenly, Lan WangJi turned around and glanced at him. Wei WuXian finally noticed that as he scrubbed him, his mind began to roam around, rubbing the snowy skin on Lan WangJi's back so red that it seemed like someone had beat him up. Wei WuXian thought the look Lan WangJi gave him might mean he wasn't satisfied with the work, and so he stopped at once, "Sorry, sorry. Does it hurt?"
Lan WangJi didn't say anything, only shaking his hand. Seeing how he looked, all quiet and obedient, sitting in the tub, Wei WuXian felt quite sorry. Curving his finger, he scratched his chin to show comfort. Just the chin wasn't even enough. Feeling his fingers itch, he even wanted to poke Lan WangJi's abs, but before it was even halfway there, his wrist was suddenly caught by Lan WangJi, whose voice was low, "Do not touch me."
A few transparent drops of water still remained on his eyelashes and his handsome features. His expression seemed cold, but his eyes were searing.
Tonight, Wei WuXian had already done countless frivolous little things to Lan WangJi. He'd long since gotten used to Lan WangJi letting him do whatever he wanted. Right now, having been stopped so suddenly, he was still brave, "Why not? Haven't you let me touch you for so long already?"
