Xiao Zhan propped his elbow on the table, his chin resting on his palm. He looked back and forth at the Twin Jades of Lan, observing and reading their expressions.
In point of fact, both seemed to be possessed. One was trembling, his whole body trying to silence his fit of laughter, while the other was busy glaring at his elder brother. In the back of his mind, he considered whipping out his flute and pondered which song he needed to play: 'Song of Clarity' or 'Eradication Tone'. Or perhaps he should just smack both boys back to reality with the thick bamboo flute.
It took every fiber of Lan Xichen's muscles and his perseverance in reciting the three thousand rules in his head to completely mute his happy chuckles. "Young Master Wei, since Wangji spoke highly of you, I must listen to your flute playing." He said after calming down.
Is this a talent show now? Lan Wangji ah Lan Wangji. Look at what you've done.
In the end, Xiao Zhan still went ahead with an impromptu performance of the clarity-inducing musical piece. His main purpose was to purify the seemingly unclean minds of the two honorable Young Masters of the Gusu Lan Clan.
Soon, Lan Wangji's soft gaze followed Wei Wuxian's every breath as the melody filled the room.
Thank goodness! That worked! He no longer looked like he was going to bite someone.
"That was impressive, Young Master Wei! Did Wangji teach you how to play the song?" Lan Xichen was awed.
The Song of Clarity was one of the many musical scores composed by their clan. The song had excellent effects in soothing, capable of suppressing hostile energy and clearing the mind, but it was complicated and difficult to master. Yet, this Wei Wuxian managed to play it with ease.
Lan Wangji continued playing his answering machine and said, "I never taught him. He heard me play once."
Xiao Zhan chewed on his lower lip while glancing sideways at Lan Wangji. He had a strong urge to learn the silence spell now.
Excuse me, since when your name is Young Master Wei? What are you? My new manager?
Lan Xichen, "You truly are a wonder! Is there anything you can't do, Young Master Wei?"
Yes, there is! For example, I can't keep my blood pressure from shooting up from all the stresses you twin set of Jades just gave me!
Xiao Zhan buried his face in his hands. It was too embarrassing to hear all this praise. "Please don't flatter me too much, Zewu-Jun. I'm just familiar with music," he spoke through the cover.
Lan Xichen's brows drew together, completely intrigued by the revelation. "You are? How come I never heard about this musical talent of yours before?"
And as he expected, Lan Wangji answered again, "You have yet to hear him sing, Brother."
Horrified by another unsolicited advertisement, Xiao Zhan turned his head slowly to give Lan Wangji a dead stare.
Not again! Damn it, Lan Zhan! Wang Yibo, is that you? Please stop possessing this person!
Xiao Zhan pressed his hand firmly on Lan Wangji's shoulder. In a hushed but sarcastic tone, he gritted his words, "Young Master 'Wei', I suggest you shut your mouth now."
Lan Wangji swallowed a gulp before acknowledging the warning with a slight nod.
Lan Xichen, on the other hand, felt like his heart was full as he watched the spectacle. Regardless of the bad omens that he had heard that day, he chose to look only at the bright sides, which happened to be right in front of him. He had many good points to add later to his book "Why Wei Wuxian is a Perfect Match for Wangji."
"I think we are straying from the original purpose of our visit," Xiao Zhan said, hoping that the little puppy would remain obedient and quiet. He proceeded to speak seriously, redirecting the topic of discussion. "Zewu-Jun, in my opinion, since the warning came from Master Lan Yi herself to protect the clan, it is important for everyone here in the Gusu Lan Sect to improve as well, in both defensive and offensive skills."
The two of us can't possibly shield everyone here. They need to learn to protect themselves and help defend this place too.
Lan Xichen nodded in agreement. "You are absolutely right, Young Master Wei. On that note, I wonder if you can help us with strategies to prepare ourselves. Looking at Wangji's tremendous improvement since he started training with you, I am convinced that others will gain benefits from your methods as well."
"Ah, it was nothing fancy. It was all practice. Practice. Practice. That is the only way to go. Anyway, this is good for us too. A win-win. The night hunts are basically to test abilities that cannot be tested on humans without injuring them. Now we get to test our combat skills against each other too."
Xiao Zhan: "It will be my honor. However, what would the elders think of my participation?"
"This is a matter of protecting the sect. I'm sure we can bend the rules a little. Leave it to us to convince them. After all, no one can deny your intellectual capabilities and skills. Do you already have some ideas in mind?"
Oho, everyone better buckles up. This is going to be fun! I never fought other people than Lan Zhan. I am also curious about how many we could take on with only the two of us.
Xiao Zhan was quite excited. He muttered, "Yes. A bit."
"As expected, you are very reliable, Young Master Wei. You are the best person to entrust this to."
Unrepentant, Lan Wangji chimed in, "Brother is correct. No one else is better."
Xiao Zhan was truly tired of trying to zip that big mouth. His eyes nearly sparked ablaze with flames. "Are you trying to butter me up now?"
"Wangji, perhaps you should consider your choice of words now." Lan XiChen said, putting one finger in front of his lips, hoping that his smitten younger brother would understand his message through his eyes, 'It is for your sake, Little Brother'.
To help his brother out from the possible wrath of his prospective partner, he suggested, "Why don't you bring Young Master Wei to town for a meal, Wangji?"
As if by telepathy, Lan Wangji got the message and immediately got to his feet, bowing briefly. "Then, we'll take our leave for now, Brother."
Eh? So sudden?
Xiao Zhan was flabbergasted at the unforeseen change of events. He then blindly followed the others' actions, standing up and making a hasty bow towards Lan Xichen. "See you again, Zewu-Jun."
"Have a good day, Young Master Wei." Lan Xichen returned his bow.
"Lan Zhan! Wait for me! Ahhh! You are so impatient for someone who is supposed to be calm and cool." Xiao Zhan yelled while chasing the disappearing white-clad figure.
Lan Xichen shook his head, feeling contented at the display. He was sincerely happy for his little brother.
When they were out of anyone's sight, Xiao Zhan crossed his arms across his chest, his eyes narrowed to crinkled slits. He was not going to move from where he had set foot until he got what he wanted: an explanation. "Aren't you going to explain your behavior just now?" He asked sternly.
"..." This was the first time Lan Wangji had been reprimanded by someone other than his uncle. He was clueless about what to do in this situation. He tried to make sense of why Wei Ying was upset with him.
All he had done was share Wei Ying's skills and answer some of his brother's questions for Wei Ying because he did not want their casual interactions to be prolonged.
In his defense, his brother resembled him a great deal, perhaps even more handsome since he was first on the ridiculous ranking of Young Masters and had better communication skills. Hence, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to keep Wei Ying away from his brotherâas far as possible, with minimal interaction.
That would be best for Wei Ying
And himself.
"Lan Zhan!" Xiao Zhan was a little irked by him keeping his mouth shut. He said threateningly, "I'm not going with you if you don't answer me."
"I am sorry," Lan Wangji immediately apologized. He did not know what he was apologizing for, but whatever it was, he hoped it would appease the angry person in front of him. His head drooped as he stared remorsefully through his long eyelashes.
Don't give me that puppy look! It won't work on me. Nope! No... Damn it! What the hell! It worked. Why am I such as softie?
Xiao Zhan threw his head back and expelled a heavy breath. He mumbled resignedly, "You're lucky you're cute."
"What?" Lan Wangji blinked owlishly.
"Nothing. Lan Zhan, look at this." He pointed at his mouth and asked, "What do you see?"
Lan Wangji's eyes landed on the slightly parted, reddish-pink, luscious lips. The features looked soft and pillowy, the perfect outline hinting at sweetness. He uttered, "Lips."
"Exactly. So, let me use them andâ" Xiao Zhan's words slowly trailed off at the end, unfinished. He had only wanted to speak his mind, yet here he was, rendered speechless once more as he noticed the beautiful, golden-colored irises fixed on his lips. The distance between them was merely an arm's length apart. It must have been the cue for his heart to begin skipping beats.
Xiao Zhan could swear he started seeing a blinding halo light shining down on the gorgeous second Jade of Lan complete with a sparkly filter effect that went 'Shalala~'. His grey pupil serendipitously settled on Lan Wangji's lips, which were like rosebuds peeping out of snow and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Shit. Am I turning into a pervert?
Xiao Zhan turned around to hide his hot, flushed face away at that juncture. He waved his hand off dismissively. "Never mind. Just forget it. You can make it up to me by taking me out for a spicy meal."
Lan Wangji readily agreed. "Anything you want."
*****
They arrived at Caiyi Town later that afternoon.
Lan Wangji made a mental note; food had proven to be the best bribe to console an upset partner.
Xiao Zhan practically hopped on his feet, dragging Lan Wangji toward the restaurant rows. He exclaimed enthusiastically, "Alright, let's go to the Hunan restaurant!"
They found the restaurant fairly quickly. Xiao Zhan excitedly ordered only the spiciest dishes for himself and remembered to get some mildly spiced ones for Lan Wangji, who had put him in charge of that.
When their dishes arrived, Xiao Zhan separated and pushed some plates in front of Lan Wangji. He remarked, "You can't eat spicy food. The mild ones are for you."
Lan Wangji looked intently at the food on the table, noting the stark color difference. "Mn."
The dishes in front of Xiao Zhan were all saturated with a fiery red hue, looking like the meals came straight from the deepest hell.
On the contrary, Xiao Zhan felt like he was in heaven, as he had been eating only bland food at Cloud Recesses for many weeks. He chattered, "Where I come from, the dishes were topped with a layer full of peppers."
"Talking while dining is prohibited," Lan Wangji predictably cited the rule.
"Talking while dining is prohibited." Xiao Zhan teasingly mimicked him at the same time, which only resulted in a frown.
"Come on, we're not in Cloud Recesses. Loosen up a little, will you?" Xiao Zhan said while he was picking up some of the dishes in his bowl. "Let me be honest with you, I'm getting bored with the food in Cloud Recesses. How did you survive for more than fifteen years eating the same plain stuff? I miss cooking."
Despite the lack of response, Xiao Zhan kept talking about the wide variety of food and the different cultures, his home-cooked meals, likes and dislikes, et cetera. He was truly a passionate gastronome and culinary enthusiast.
Lan Wangji broke his silence after he put his chopsticks down. "You can cook?"
Xiao Zhan nodded happily. "Yes, it's one of my favorite things to do. Hm? I thought you wouldn't talk while dining?"
"I have finished," Lan Wangji declared. His bowl and plate were indeed clean.
"Aha! Now I know why that rule existed. The sole purpose was to make you finish your meal faster. Tsk tsk. That is one bad rule." Xiao Zhan paused his dining.
"Do you know that eating meals together strengthens bonds among families and friends? Mealtime is the best time to engage and converse with one another. It doesn't matter what you eat or where, just talk and listen. Share your day, your thoughts, and feelings, and learn about each other. Mealtime is supposed to be fun, and you're supposed to enjoy your food too. You are missing out on many delicious things. Tell me, in what way is eating in silence 'righteous'?"
"You are not wrong." Lan Wangji's eyelids drooped, and there was bitterness in his tone. He did not mean to complain, but the words still flowed out. "Only Brother would listen, and I am used to being alone."
"Hey! Am I invisible to you?" Xiao Zhan tapped his rice bowl with the chopsticks in his hands and slightly raised his pitch. "How dare you say you are alone when we're together now?"
Lan Wangji was startled by the argumentative phrase; he lowered his head and froze on the spot.
Looking at how down he was, Xiao Zhan's expression softened when he recalled how lonely Lan Wangji was. He did not mean to scold the pitiful, pure soul; he was just trying to remind him that he was not alone anymore. He tried to console him as he offered, "Should I cook for you sometime?"
Lan Wangji instantly lifted his face, and his eyes lit up. "Mn."
Truthfully, Lan Wangji was not even close to feeling sad when he stiffened his body at Wei Ying's loud remark. He was just taken aback by the declaration that Wei Ying had just made: that he was no longer alone because Wei Ying was with him. Now, he was even more elated that the other man had offered to cook for him.
Xiao Zhan squinted his eyes and looked suspiciously at the face that spelled "happy" in capital letters as he continued chewing his spicy delicacy, feeling something was a little off.
Hmmm... Why do I feel like I've been tricked?