After having a long (and civil) conversation with the Jiang, Xiao Zhan, and Wang Yibo departed to Gusu right after lunch. The journey took them half a day.
"So... this is the real Cloud Recesses?" Wang Yibo said as they walked towards the mountainside that housed the Gusu Lan sect residence. It wasn't really a question, but Xiao Zhan answered anyway.
"Yes. This is it." He nodded. "The very home of the Gusu Lan sect." He said in theatrical manner, opening his arms as if he were doing a free advertisement for the sect.
"There are a lot of stairs." Wang Yibo remarked, looking up at how many steps there are to climb. It was way more than those in Hengdian, the filming site. A lot more.
Xiao Zhan chuckled quietly before shaking his head fondly. "What do you expect? An elevator?" He teased.
Wang Yibo made a face at the sarcastic answer. "Boring." He said flatly.
Xiao Zhan laughed again; this time harder. "The premise is on the mountain. Of course, there will be stairs. But the air is cool enough and the scenery is pretty for a relaxing hike. Besides, you are the unparalleled Hanguang-jun. You are not going to even sweat with these tiny steps with your long legs now, are you?" He said challengingly.
"Hmph. Of course not." Wang Yibo huffed and flicked his sleeves, walking ahead of Xiao Zhan.
As they approached the gates, the guards stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Hanguang-jun, Xiumo-jun. Welcome back."
The pair bowed back politely, exchanging greetings with the guards before they walked in, passing the translucent barrier that gleamed slightly under the light.
Wang Yibo slowed down his steps when he saw the actual boulders that made the wall of rules. "Wow." He gasped. "I wonder who had to engrave those words. How did they even manage to do that? The rocks are like ten feet tall." He commented, admiring the beautiful calligraphy that was set on the stone wall.
"Those were the result of the beautiful and strong Gusu Lan swordsmanship." Xiao Zhan explained. "And the handstands which contributed to the arm strength." He added, patting Wang Yibo's upper arm. "You are the current Head of Discipline. So, some of the newer ones are engraved by this very hand of yours, you know." He said with a light laugh.
Wang Yibo was tempted to feel his own biceps and triceps at that statement. But he didn't. Because it would be very uncharacteristic for the peerless Second Jade of Lan to evaluate the strength of his arms and the muscles underneath the wide-sleeved robe in the middle of the walkway. He settled his curiosity by clenching the sword in his hand. "Are there really 3000 rules up there?" He asked, his eyes moving up and down, trying to mentally count the many rules.
"3218 rules, to be exact." Xiao Zhan answered.
Wang Yibo raised a brow, "Don't tell me that you know every rule there is."
Xiao Zhan smirked, "I can recite it to you if you want."
"You memorized it?" Wang Yibo asked doubtfully, "All of them?"
"All of them."
"Really?" Wang Yibo blinked in amazement.
Xiao Zhan nodded his head firmly. "Yep." His mouth quirked up slightly.
Wang Yibo stared at him for a moment before saying, "You have that ridiculous photographic memory ability too?" He asked, a bit disbelievingly.
"Yup." Xiao Zhan grinned.
Wang Yibo tilted his head thoughtfully before asking, "So, you remember everything you read. True?"
Xiao Zhan shrugged. "Yes."
"You're a genius here, huh?" Wang Yibo said, nudging him with the hilt of Bichen lightly.
Xiao Zhan poked him back on his side with his elbow in retaliation, "You can say that." A smug grin crossed his lips.
They went back and forth with their exchange of shenanigans when Lan Xichen's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Ah, Wangji! I see you brought Young Master Wei back today!" Lan Xichen chirped like a happy bird in the morning as he walked towards the pair in light steps.
"Zewu-jun." Xiao Zhan greeted with a bow.
Wang Yibo blinked, glancing at Xiao Zhan who gave him a little nudge as a signal. "Oh..." He addressed the older male with a respectful incline of his head, "Brother." He uttered in a monotonous voice. To be fair, Lan Xichen was slightly different looking than the actor who played him. That and the fact that the older brother of Lan Wangji looked a little like himself. So, it took him a second to register the face. "How are you?" A smile graced his lips unconsciously. It was an occupational response on his part.
Lan Xichen blinked in surprise, looking from one to the other. He then beamed brightly, looking extremely pleased at the moment. It was a wonderful day for him. His brother smiled at him. "I'm well. I'm very well." He answered, "And you look very happy, Wangji. I am very glad to witness you being playful for once." He remarked teasingly.
Wang Yibo simply hummed an, "Mn." as he figured it was the best answer for that jest of a remark.
Xiao Zhan coughed, "Zewu-jun." He changed the topic before Lan Xichen could begin with his teasing. "Actually, we are here for a purpose. We need to find someone."
"Someone?" Lan Xichen questioned curiously. "Who?"
"An outer disciple named Su She." Xiao Zhan said with a serious tone.
Lan Xichen seemed concerned. "You mean, Su Minshan?" He asked.
"Yes." Xiao Zhan confirmed with a nod. "Do you remember him?"
"Yes, of course, I remember Young Master Su. I had a run-in with him a couple of weeks ago." Lan Xichen answered. "Why are you looking for him?" The young sect leader inquired curiously.
"He's a suspect of an accomplice in my father's poisoning." Xiao Zhan stated.
Lan Xichen raised an eyebrow in slight alarm. "That's quite a serious allegation, Young Master Wei. "Why don't we take this to my office?" he suggested before leading the way through the halls.
Once they were seated, Xiao Zhan began to explain what had transpired in detail.
"So, you were saying, someone dressed in our Gusu Lan sect's uniform made the purchase?" Lan Xichen inquired, eyes wide as the whole tale unfolded, trying to keep up.
"Correct." Xiao Zhan affirmed.
"I see." Lan Xichen murmured in thought. He was lost for a moment until something dawned on him. "But if you're looking for him here, I'm afraid you won't have any luck with that."
Xiao Zhan frowned, "Why is that?"
"Because he is no longer an outer disciple of Gusu Lan. He left about a week ago to form his own clan." Lan Xichen informed. It was a common occurrence where a disciple who was not of a blood descendant of the clan to leave to form a new sect, mostly making iit nto the circle of minor clans.
Xiao Zhan's jaw clenched tightly at those words. "That damned ungrateful son of a-" he seethed before stopping himself from swearing immediately. He cleared his throat before saying, "Looks like we have to hunt him down." He said more calmly but not less angrily.
Lan Xichen's brows furrowed together in concern. "Young Master Wei, I must ask this before anything. How are you sure that he was the one who made the purchase?" He inquired.
Xiao Zhan stared at the man for a moment, trying to find a valid reason of his suspicion against Su She. He couldn't say that he knew about the traitor from his 'future' knowledge. He eventually sighed. "I can't tell you the exact reasons why, Zewu-jun, but I am sure that he is the guilty party."
Lan Xichen frowned as he took in the reply for a second. "I see." He murmured. "And what do you think, Wangji?" He asked, looking at Wang Yibo who stayed quiet throughout.
"I agree with Wei Ying." Wang Yibo said without hesitation. "He is the main suspect."
"Are you certain?" Lan Xichen questioned again.
Wang Yibo nodded solemnly. "Trust Wei Ying, Brother." He said firmly.
Lan Xichen looked between the two of them, "Very well." He spoke, deciding to let the matter in their hands, "I'm sure both of you have a reason for your suspicion, so I shall trust you when you say your judgment is sound."
Both Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo nodded, relieved at this supportive note.
"By the way, Zewu-jun, I have a question." Xiao Zhan started. "Are you in contact with Jin Guangyao?" Xiao Zhan asked cautiously.
"I haven't seen him since the banquet, though I have exchanged letters with him." Lan Xichen replied. "Wangji was adamant about not letting him into Cloud Recesses." He added, looking at Wang Yibo.
"It's just a precaution, Zewu-jun." Xiao Zhan answered on Wang Yibo's behalf. He then changed the topic, "Speaking of which, has anyone entered the forbidden library recently?"
Lan Xichen shook his head, "No."
Xiao Zhan nodded, satisfied with that answer. Even if anyone did enter the forbidden room, they would not be able to access the vault where the dangerous books were kept (upon his advice to the late Qingheng-jun) without a special Jade Token which could only be obtained from the sect leader himself. "If that's the case, then I think we are done here." He stated, getting ready to make a move.
"Wait." Lan Xichen stopped them both before they could get up. "Wangji, Uncle is out of seclusion now." He told Wang Yibo. "You should greet him and the other elders while you are still here."
Upon hearing that, Wang Yibo tensed up slightly and glanced over at Xiao Zhan for a moment. He nodded stiffly as a reply, knowing that he had no choice but to do so.
Xiao Zhan tried not to stay unperturbed at the mention of Lan Qiren, he knew the grumpy old man wouldn't be happy to see him.
And as expected, Lan Qiren was not thrilled to see Xiao Zhan by his nephew's side when they walked into his quarter. The scowl on his face almost left him with a permanent dip in between his brows.
Xiao Zhan ignored the piercing gaze of Lan Qiren, instead ,he plastered a smile on his face and bowed politely, "Lan-xiansheng." He greeted. "How are you?"
Wang Yibo followed suit. "Uncle." He said as he respectfully greeted Lan Qiren as Lan Wangji would have. "Have you been well?" He added in a monotonous tone.
"Hm. I'm well." Lan Qiren replied, glancing between Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan. "I see that you are still ignoring my words, Wangji." He said disapprovingly. "And you should be here in Cloud Recesses. Why are you following him around? "
Wang Yibo opened his mouth to refute but paused, remembering what Xiao Zhan told him before their trip which was to avoid any kind of confrontation with anyone. Especially not in public. Thus, he kept his mouth shut and just looked down at his feet silently.
Lan Qiren scowled even more, "Have you forgotten where your home is? Have you forsaken our clan's rules and your duties as the Gusu Lan heir?" He demanded.
Wang Yibo couldn't help but frown slightly at the old man's words. "No, I-" He stopped, pressing his lips into thin lines, unsure of what to answer the cranky old man. Eventually, he just shook his head silently.
He looked positively like a scolded puppy which made Lan Xichen's heart go into his brotherly protective mode and come to his rescue. "Uncle, please calm down. Wangji has not done any wrong nor he has abandoned our clan." He said firmly.
Lan Qiren harrumphed, shooting Lan Xichen a glare, "Xichen, you should not indulge your brother too much. We have rules in this clan and you are the sect leader. You should be fair." He admonished.
Lan Xichen took a deep breath before he said, "Uncle, I do not indulge Wangji and I won't punish my brother for no reason. He is allowed to do what he wishes to do. He deserves that much since both he and Young Master Wei did so much during the war." He paused a second before he added, "It is in our rules to not hold onto personal grudges, Uncle." He reminded gently.
"Xichen, you..." Lan Qiren stopped himself. He huffed irritably before turning back to Wang Yibo. "Fine. You may have some time. But please, make sure you don't lose sight of your duty as a Lan, Wangji!" He said sternly.
"Yes, Uncle." Wang Yibo mumbled quietly.
Lan Xichen gave his uncle a grateful smile, turning back to the pair, "It's already late. Stay the night. We haven't had meals together for quite a while now. Let's have dinner together later."
After a brief hesitation, they both nodded reluctantly in agreement. Lan Xichen looked satisfied at that and led his uncle away from them, saying that they had some important matter to discuss. In reality, he just didn't want his little brother to be reprimanded by their uncle for whatever unnecessary reason there is.
Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo watched them walk away silently. They were both grateful that they did not have to face the sour-faced old man for much longer.
"I guess I will give you a tour of this place then." Xiao Zhan offered when the figures disappeared from their sight.
"Okay." Wang Yibo responded, still somewhat tensely. They walked slowly around the main areas of the Gusu Lan Sect headquarters, passing several disciples on their way. Occasionally, they would stop when someone made small talks with them. Most seemed happy to see Xiao Zhan there.
"You're rather famous here." Wang Yibo noted when they were alone again, heading towards the back hill where the waterfall was situated. "They all seem fond of you." He stated, sounding amused by that fact.
Xiao Zhan chuckled lightly, "Not all. You just met one who hates me earlier, remember?" He said jokingly, his tone betrayed his true thoughts however and Wang Yibo frowned at that response. "But it's not a big deal. I'm used to it. It's nothing new." He shrugged casually.
Wang Yibo didn't seem convinced. He shot Xiao Zhan a quick glance. He looked calm but he could see the slight tension in his frame, telling him otherwise. But if Xiao Zhan does not want to talk about it, he won't force it.
When they reached their stop, Xiao Zhan paused for a moment. He subconsciously brought Wang Yibo to his and Lan Wangji's secret spot, making the latter stare at him curiously. He cleared his throat before looking straight ahead at the cascading water, taking a deep breath as the familiar smell washed over him. He closed his eyes momentarily, inhaling deeply. The memories he associated with that spot flooded back to him and suddenly, it felt like a huge weight off his chest.
"What's wrong?" Wang Yibo asked, placing his hand gently on Xiao Zhan's shoulder.
Xiao Zhan flinched slightly, opening his eyes slowly. "It's just..." He trailed off and let out a heavy sigh, trying to organize his thoughts back into calmness.
When Xiao Zhan didn't continue speaking, Wang Yibo spoke up, "You know, you can talk to me about anything when you feel like it." He assured.
Xiao Zhan smiled faintly at that and glanced at him briefly, "It's nothing. Nothing that you don't know already."
"Still, I am all ears when you need to vent, okay?" Wang Yibo as he appreciated the magnificent view in front of him, breathing in the refreshing cool air.
"Thank you." Xiao Zhan smiled. He turned his attention back to the waterfall, watching the clear streams of water falling into the pool below, reflecting the soft light coming from the setting sun.
At times like this, he wished that he could hear the soothing melody of Guqin that always calmed him down when he felt stressed out. Or get cuddles. A lot of cuddles. But he couldn't have that at the moment.
"Yibo, can you sing for me?" He requested after a bit.
"Huh?" That got Wang Yibo's attention immediately. He turned to look over at Xiao Zhan. "Sing?" Upon seeing the bitterness in his eyes, he asked softly. "What song?"
"Anything. Anything that comes to mind." Xiao Zhan repeated his request with a faint smile.
"Okay. Sure." Wang Yibo didn't even hesitate and started busting out rhymes of his song, Wu Gan.
Xiao Zhan's eyes went a little wide when he heard the first line. He certainly didn't expect to hear a rap but it did make him smile nonetheless.
**Being praised and being liked is of course worth wishing for
After receiving a lot of these you say you don't like and leave
Don't be someone else's manipulatable puppet
When facing judgment keep emotionless and ignore it
It shatters and hurts
Being attacked and mocked and provoked
Emotionlessness is the best counterattack towards hurt
Being without emotion gives me courage so my heart will not fear
Nothing cannot be overcome, even if the sky collapses, love still remains
Only emotions you cannot surpass will bind you tightly
Even when the sun goes down there are lights switched on in the night
You see, this world is not bad
"Well, Hanguang-jun. You're a cool rapper." Xiao Zhan chuckled after the song came to a finish.
Wang Yibo flashed a boyish grin, "Of course." That swag of an answer made Xiao Zhan burst into a frenzy of laughter. Wang Yibo laughed along with him, feeling relieved to see the other relaxed a little.
The dinner went as they predicted. Disastrous. It ended up with Wang Yibo standing up from his seat while exclaiming, "I WILL MARRY WEI YING!" leaving Lan Qiren almost Qi deviated on the spot.
********
Meanwhile, in the other universe, Lan Wangji stared at Wei Wuxian who was showing him the articles related to reincarnation and transmigration that he had previously read. The way that the words tumbled out from the latter's lips like an unstoppable stream made something stir within Lan Wangji that he found himself unable to look away. He couldn't help but notice that the similarities between Xiao Zhan and Wei Wuxian were incredibly striking. They were almost identical in many ways. The way they rubbed their chin or touched their nose when in thought. The way their hands move around is the same way when they are in explaining mode. The twinkle in their eyes. The occasional tongue swipes to wet the lips and the little beauty mark at the side of the lower plush lip.
His train of thought was interrupted by Wei Wuxian clearing his throat. "Are you listening, Lan Zhan?"
Lan Wangji tore his gaze away from Wei Wuxian's lips and returned his attention to the articles he was studying. "Mn."
Wei Wuxian snorted, "So rude, Lan Zhan. Here I am trying to share with you the information I've gathered painstakingly yet you did not even bother to listen to me." He pouted playfully.
"Sorry." Lan Wangji replied, lowering his head.
Wei Wuxian let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head. "Never mind. I don't think we'll get anywhere talking about the tenet of Buddhism or how it is relevant to our current situation anyway." He announced and Lan Wangji simply hummed in agreement. To be fair, he had recited almost all of those theories that he had learned before. Rebirth cycle and theology. Cosmological theory. Theory of infinite possibilities. Parallel universes, multiverses, multiple worlds. Quantum entanglement theory. Dual consciousnesses. Multiple perspectives. Time and Temporal paradox. Schrödinger cat paradox. Ontological paradox. Lan Wangji was practically a saint for listening up to that point.
"Oh, look at the time. It's pretty late now. Are you hungry? I'm starving." Wei Wuxian asked, putting away his iPad and rubbing his tummy. "Let's order in for dinner." He suggested with a bright smile.
"Okay." Lan Wangji agreed easily. Wei Wuxian's fingers tapped swiftly on his phone's screen as he showed Lan Wangji the options of food that were available for takeout. There were way too many choices and Lan Wangji was almost overwhelmed. He ended up letting Wei Wuxian decide what to pick.
It wasn't long until their food arrived. Lan Wangji looked at the amount of food on the table blankly, wondering whether Wei Wuxian ordered wrongly since the amount of food actually consisted of the same amount as the number of meals he ate every day combined.
"Are we expecting anyone else?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
The question only earned him a chuckle from Wei Wuxian. "Are you going to tell me that I can't eat more than three bowls now, Lan Zhan?" He teased.
"No." Lan Wangji denied it flatly. Xiao Zhan, too, had the tendency to eat more than him. Although, it seemed like Wei Wuxian ate twice as much as his Wei Ying. He took a seat, still eyeing the variety of food before his eyes.
"Don't worry. I ordered nothing too spicy." Wei Wuxian said as he handed Lan Wangji a pair of chopsticks.
"You know... I don't have my golden core so I have to rely on food to heal the damage from the backlash faster." Wei Wuxian explained before digging in.
"I can help you heal." Lan Wangji offered quietly.
Wei Wuxian almost choked on his meal when he heard that because his brain decided to recall the memories he got from Xiao Zhan to the time when Lan Wangji was on his mission to 'heal' his other self. With dual cultivations. Lots of it.
Since the memory exchange, whatever Xiao Zhan experienced, be it emotional or physical, he felt it too. It was as if he went through it himself. Sure, Lan Wangji and Wang Yibo are the same soul and essentially, the same person. But still, it felt a little off. He quickly swallowed his food before saying, "...uh... I don't think we should."
Lan Wangji merely raised an eyebrow at him before giving him a questioning glance, "Why not? You seemed fine with it last night." He remarked.
Wei Wuxian blinked, taken aback by the statement, "Last night?"
Lan Wangji nodded, "Yes. Don't you remember?"
"Ah, no." Wei Wuxian said awkwardly, fidgeting with the chopsticks in his hands. "I don't feel like we did it?" He mumbled.
Lan Wangji knitted his eyebrows slightly in confusion as he regarded Wei Wuxian, "I did it. You passed out." He said bluntly.
Wei Wuxian spluttered, "You did? To an unconscious person?" His expression was priceless, his eyes comically widened with disbelief while his mouth hung open like a fish and his chopsticks dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
Lan Wangji's frown deepened at the reaction. "You were badly injured internally. I transferred my spiritual energy to help." He said, picking up the fallen utensils and raising from his seat to get a new set for him.
A second silence fell upon the two, and Wei Wuxian broke it with a laugh, covering his face with his hands as if ashamed. "Ooh!! I thought you..." he tried to speak through his laughter but couldn't complete his sentence.
Lan Wangji laid down the clean chopsticks in front of Wei Wuxian, took his seat again, and waited patiently for him to finish. After a few moments, Wei Wuxian composed himself once more before wiping away any remaining tears of amusement on his sleeve.
"I did what?" Lan Wangji prompted.
"...Never mind. I was wrong." Wei Wuxian admitted sheepishly, grabbing the chopsticks and starting to shovel food into his mouth to avoid talking more about the subject.
Lan Wangji stared at him for a couple of seconds before deciding to let the matter be. They continued eating their meal in comfortable silence after that.
"You seem to like this world." Lan Wangji remarked after finishing his meals.
Wei Wuxian hummed before answering. "I suppose I like living here. There's no war, no fights, and no beasts." He paused, "And no one wants to kill me here." He added after a beat, chuckling lightly, but the laugh sounded hollow.
Lan Wangji 's heart clenched at the sadness he saw in Wei Wuxian's eyes. He had the urge to wipe those sad lines away with his thumb and chase away his sadness, but he held back.
"Anyway," Wei Wuxian resumed, forcing a smile on his face, "Life isn't bad here. I have someone who loves me and a family. And a cute chubby cat. Also, millions of people adore me." He chuckled again, sounding more cheerful.
"I see." Lan Wangji replied, nodding understandingly.
"Ah, that reminds me." Wei Wuxian suddenly remembered. "Your parents, I mean, Yibo's parents planned to visit at the end of this week."
Lan Wangji's eyes flashed at the mention of that. "Parent..." He repeated quietly. He let out a small gasp when he recalled the faces of Wang Yibo's parents. He wasn't really sure if Yibo's mother was his own mother's reincarnation since he was only six when he last saw his mother's face. But there was no doubt that the father had the same features as his father.
Wei Wuxian noticed the change in expression on Lan Wangji's face. "It's very likely that Qingheng-jun is reincarnated as Yibo's dad, you know?" He said softly, knowing what happened to the late Sect Leader of Lan.
"Mn." Lan Wangji answered distractedly. A large part of him is curious and wants to meet them both. However, some part of him felt like he had no right to do so. "Even if he is, he won't know who I am." He said eventually.
"That might be true but you will know." Wei Wuxian reasoned. "Just like how it turned out for me." He said, smiling softly.
Lan Wangji stayed quiet after that. He knew that this could be his opportunity to meet his father and possibly his mother once more.
Wei Wuxian didn't push the topic any further as he grabbed the dishes and started cleaning.
"I'll help you." Lan Wangji volunteered, rising from his chair, and walked over to assist Wei Wuxian.
"No need. Go sit down." Wei Wuxian stated as he pushed Lan Wangji towards the sofa. He smiled when Lan Wangji sat down obediently.
Lan Wangji picked up Wang Yibo's phone that was abandoned on the table, reading notifications on his screen with a blank expression. There were plenty of unanswered texts, some missed calls ,and new messages. He sighed deeply when he realized that he had to leave the apartment when the morning came for work. Wang Yibo's work. And that would be a difficult challenge for him.
"Lan Zhan, you need to reply to all those texts." Wei Wuxian said suddenly from behind him, having just done with the dishes.
Lan Wangji glanced at Wei Wuxian who took a seat beside him with eyes that clearly said, 'Help'.
Wei Wuxian snorted at his lost puppy look. "Just reply as Wang Yibo would. A brief one should suffice."
"Mn." Lan Wangji nodded, typing a short reply to a message as instructed, and hit the send button.
Wei Wuxian almost shrieked. "Did you just type, 'mn' as a reply?"
"Mn." Lan Wangji hummed innocently.
Wei Wuxian doubled over instantly, holding his tummy. "Lan Zhan ahhh Lan Zhan!" He managed between his laughter. Afterward, Wei Wuxian took over the phone and did all the replying on his behalf.
And somehow, they ended up sharing the bed for the night.
********
**Lyrics of Wu Gan, by Wang Yibo