THE GAME

Chapter 23

The lonesome sound of the zither drew him closer to his baby brother's room. "Wangji, are you alright?", Lan Xichen could not bear keeping quiet any longer. Since their last meeting with the Jiangs, his brother has been this way; locked up in his room playing 'Clarity' on repeat.

Lan Wangji stilled his guqin with his palm, lips parting slightly as he raised his head with a downcast look. Wangji was never good at hiding his true feelings from Xichen. "My mind is filled with evil thoughts.", He said timidly.

"Is that why you've refused to come out of your room?... Can I know what the problem is?", Xichen found himself a seat before the other.

"I overheard them talking on the phone the other day. He wants to take Wei Ying away.", Wangji said. ZewuJun was speechless for a while. His brother doting on Master Wei was something he could not control.

"Brother, I...I don't want to act on my instincts. It goes against everything I've been thought.", The strain in his voice was taunting.

Lan Xichen sighed "Wangji, listen to me. Jiang Cheng said Master Wei is confused about what he feels for you. If it were up to me I'd bring mother into this, she has a way of calming Wei Ying."

"But..."

"But nothing! It's not okay for you to have unsettling thoughts. You've been holding yourself back for so long, I'm worried you might go into a bad rut and do something extreme. We have to get the elders involved before it gets too late.", Lan Xichen was no longer calm about his brother's anguish.

"...Please let me think about it.", Lan Wangji said.

"Okay, but you have to stop moping and get out of your room. It's time you learned how to guard your own.", Lan Xichen was persistent...

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Madam Lan was overly excited to meet Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng again. She made sure the omegas would be more comfortable this time and waited for them in her garden. When they arrived, she locked them in her embrace. Madam Lan would have wanted female omegas for her sons but these too had already won her heart.

She admired the fact that Wei Ying was a natural trouble maker that brought out the soft side in her second son and Jiang Wanyin's serious and cautious nature could counter Xichen's overly understanding attitude. To her, they made the right choice.

"Wei Ying, you've lost a lot of weight.", Madam Lan played with the Wild one's hair. "Mother, Wei Ying storms the kitchen more than he should.", Jiang Cheng ratted his brother out. The brothers' quarrel made Madam Lan giggle.

"Mother...", Lan Xichen and Wangji joined them sooner. "Is father coming?", Xichen settled down with his brother by his side.

"Yes, son. He should be back from the Board Meeting in no time.", Madam Lan kept the Jiang boys close. "Wangji, I was just telling Wei Ying he's lost a lot of weight. You should take better care of him."

"Mn.", Wei Ying's face changed after the Second Jade's reply. "Mother, I think Master Wei and Master Jiang should rest. We will return in the evening to meet father formally.", Xichen said with a warm smile. Only then did Madam Lan release them.

Going into the Jade Palace, everything in their room was kept spotless. Their clothes were kept in the closet and everything else was arranged in an orderly manner. "Look Jiang Cheng, we forgot to take these with us the last time.", Wei Ying picked one of the tiny paper balls lying in an ornamental bowl on the side table. It was a special talisman he made to alert each other when they needed help-That was when Jiang Cheng was worried Lan Wangji would attack Wei Ying in his sleep.