Xiao Zhan stretched his limbs, feeling refreshed after the unprecedented healing he received from the love of his life. He let out a small laugh as he praised his lover with an adoring look on his face, "Lan Er Gege, you are really amazing!"
Lan Wangji's lips curled up at the corners, he placed a hand on Xiao Zhan's lower back and asked softly, "Do you feel better now?"
Yes." Xiao Zhan hummed in reply. The warmness radiating from Lan Wangji's body made him even more relaxed and he couldn't help but lean into his boyfriend's side.
Lan Wangji kissed the top of the other's head, feeling satisfied that he had been able to help his beloved. After all, it was his fault that Xiao Zhan was sore in the first place. It was only right that he would make up for Xiao Zhan's pain by helping him heal faster. He stroked the length of Xiao Zhan's spine before saying, "Good. Let me know if you need more."
"I will." Xiao Zhan grinned widely. He then remarked, "Although, I am still not going to let you off the hook just yet."
"Mn." Lan Wangji sighed resignedly as his head drooped slightly.
Xiao Zhan chuckled at his reaction and then said teasingly, "But Gege, there is something I want to tell you."
"What is it?" Lan Wangji turned his gaze onto the person beside him.
"I love you." The words spilled forth without hesitation as Xiao Zhan beamed happily.
Lan Wangji broke into a smile and kissed the tip of Xiao Zhan's nose, "I love you too."
"Okay, time to go." Xiao Zhan said as he tugged on Lan Wangji's hand to follow him through the door. As expected, Lan Wangji immediately followed obediently.
The couple then joined Sect Leader Nie and his eldest son for breakfast, chatting amiably about inconsequential things throughout the meal.
At some point during their conversations, Nie Mingjue glanced at the two men seated next to each other before telling Xiao Zhan, "You should call me Da Ge now."
Xiao Zhan almost choke on his food and coughed slightly as he faced Nie Mingjue,
Do I really have to? Oh well, technically he is the big brother now, isn't he? I'll just have to get used to it.
Sighing internally, Xiao Zhan muttered, "Okay, Da Ge."
Hearing that, Nie Mingjue looked pleased and continued eating his breakfast with a brighter expression on his face.
Perhaps, it's not to bad to have an older brother.
"Father, can we keep this adoption just inside the clan for the time being?" Xiao Zhan requested humbly.
"May I ask why?" Sect Leader Nie replied in neutral tone.
"I mean, just for the time being. I am sure that you are aware about the rumors circulating about me." Xiao Zhan explained, his gaze flitting over to the elder meaningfully. "Besides, I think it would be more beneficial for us to keep it hidden than to announce it publicly fo now. We wouldn't want anyone finding out about our relationship and trying to exploit it."
"Alright." Sect Leader Nie nodded in agreement, "We cannot afford to have any speculation about our relationship just yet, lest it becomes fodder for gossip."
"Exactly my thoughts." Xiao Zhan smiled gratefully.
"Oh, that reminds me, Wei Ying." Sect Leader Nie suddenly brought up, "Shouldn't we at least contact your uncle and inform him about the matter of adoption? He is your guardian after all."
"Actually, I already informed him yesterday." Xiao Zhan said casually, taking another bite of his food. He did contact Jiang Fengmian before he meditated yesterday out of respect. He stated, "He is fine with it. In fact, he is going to come here after three days."
Sect leader Nie was a little taken aback with the statement, "How did you manage to inform him so quickly?"
Xiao Zhan pulled out a bunch of the messaging talismans from the storage pouch and passed them to Sect Leader Nie, "These are long-range instant communication talismans. They come in a pair. Whatever you write on this one will appear on this other one and if you wish to keep the message a secret, just tear it in half and both papers will burn without leaving a trace. Hence, it is also useful in time of emergency." Xiao Zhan explained as his hand moved quickly to demonstrate how it worked. He added as an afterthought, "It has a limit of fifty characters though. I probably should make some upgrade on this one when I have the chance. It seems a bit outdated now."
Basically a mini magical fax without the machine itself. Ah, I miss my phone...
"Is this your own invention, son?" Nie Mingjue asked, looking impressed at the enchanted papers.
"Yes." Xiao Zhan confirmed simply. His mind wandered a little, thinking about how he could improve its functionality later. After all, it had been a while since he last brought one of his endless ideas to life. Being a cultivator was quite demanding of his time and not to mention that he was pretty busy spending time with his beloved too. In brief, he hadn't had much time to produce anything new during this trip.
I can't make a smartphone, can I? Xiao Zhan, you might have genius brain but you're not Steve Jobs. Stay realistic. With Magic. Heh. Maybe I should create a telecommunication network with the undead army... Haha. I swear this brain can have the weirdest and freakish ideas sometimes.
"This is ingenious!" Sect Leader Nie complimented after seeing the hands on demo. He looked at Xiao Zhan with new respect.
"You can have those, Father." Xiao Zhan smiled softly.
If only you knew my thought process... you might think differently.
Nie Mingjue, who was seated on his father's right side, leaned closer to examine the papers and commented, "Now, I see why you said the talismans we found on the floor of forest the other day were thrashes."
"Hm?" Sect Leader Nie tilted his head questioningly. He didn't seem to understand what Nie Mingjue meant.
"Those Laoling Qin idiots tried to use some low-quality repelling talismans against the beasts, " Nie Mingjue explained. He then remembered something else and looked up to Lan Wangji, "That reminds me, what was that bird looking thing we followed that day, Second Young Master Lan?"
Xiao Zhan 's attention snapped to the subject and answered for Lan Wangji while shrugging nonchalantly, "It's another creation of mine."
Nie Mingjue raised his eyebrows and turned to stare at Xiao Zhan, "Another?"
Xiao Zhan smiled blandly, nodding, "You can say that I have a penchant for creating things. It's simply a hobby of mine."
"A hobby..." Nie Mingjue echoed in disbelief, "Creating that kind of high-level spiritual tool is a hobby?"
Sect Leader Nie couldn't help but to ask, "What else had you made so far?"
"Uh... Well, there are many." Xiao Zhan said insouciantly before looking up only to see expectant eyes, waiting for him to continue talking about the stuffs he made. He cleared his throat before he opened his mouth again, feeding the curiosity of the two Nies in front of him with the lists of contraptions that he had made out of boredom.
As he listened intently to Xiao Zhan, Sect Leader Nie couldn't help but feel awestruck at the young man sitting opposite him. The way he carried himself, the expression of concentration in his sparkly grey eyes when he was speaking, his confidence in explaining his inventions and even the casual way he treated the topic like it was no big deal. He was glad that he adopted this brilliant man into his family. He was certain that he and his clan would benefit greatly from having Xiao Zhan in their sect.
Xiao Zhan responded accordingly as the Sect Leader of Nie clan asked him more questions to get to know him better, but he avoided mentioning anything that was related to his demonic cultivation. It wouldn't do any good to expose the secret about his power and abilities yet. He knew that he would have to reveal everything eventually. But, for now, the secret remained between himself and Lan Wangji.
"Wei Ying created those devices among many others in his spare time." Lan Wangji spoke up, never missing the chance to brag shamelessly about his beloved. His eyes shone brightly as he continued, "He's a skillful inventor. It's one of his talents."
Sect Leader Nie and Nie Mingjue exchanged glances, wondering what kind of other talents the younger male possessed and kept hidden under those laidback and unassuming features. They urged, "Do tell us."
Xiao Zhan shook his head slightly, accepting his lover's die-hard habit without even trying to stop Lan Wangji. He learned that attempting to put a stop to the man in this mode would only lead to more rainbow talking.
I am not surprised anymore. It's not Lan Zhan if he doesn't say things like this.
Listening to the statement from the Second Jade of Gusu Lan who was also a prodigy cultivator that the world had acknowledged at the tender age of fourteen, they grasped that the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang might be more impressive than they originally thought.
And they said he doesn't talk much. Look at him yapping away like a walking Wikipedia. He looks happy though. Hmm... Brag all you want then.
While waiting for Jiang Fengmian to come to Qinghe, the young couple spent the days making arrangements with the Sect Leader on the sanctuary that would shelter the Wen remnants later on.
There would be fifty or so people that would be living there as guests. Sect Leader Nie brought the duo to a barely used corner, which was located at the far back of the compound. Since it was not a big number, the allocated space was not too cramped nor excessive. All in all, there were enough room for everyone to live comfortably in such circumstances.
There might be some reconstruction to do but Sect Leader Nie was really accommodating and offered to lend some assistance to turn the space the temporary quarters.
Xiao Zhan occasionally exchanging messages with Wen Qing on the preparatory measures for the sanctuary. Since she would work as a healer later on, a clinic was to be built at the edge of the hideout where a small community of medical practitioners would be established and operate strictly within the privacy of the Impure Realm. She insisted that she would provide funding for it and had also agreed to send people to assist in building up the settlement in total secrecy.
Xiao Zhan was pleasantly surprised that his foster father was really accommodating to his ideas.
The elder even went in extra miles and gave him his own private room that suits his status as the new member of the family, making sure that he had access to anything he might need whenever he required it. He was astounded by the overindulgent shown to him by this man whom he barely knew.
The room was spacious and almost overwhelming in its opulence complete with a large bed with several ornate silk pillows arranged at its corners. An intricately designed wooden desk was situated beside the bed, a set of writing brushes, inkstones, and scrolls were also lined up neatly on top. Even his bedding were embroidered with silver threads, looking extremely luxurious. On the wall above the desk hung paintings scenery in various stages of beauty. Everything that was displayed here was the work of someone who had a deep appreciation for art. The Nie household seemed to thrive off of extravagance, especially in regard to the furnishings of their home. The aesthetic was different from the guest room that was more on the plain side and a stark constrast to rooms he had stayed in Yunmeng or Gusu. Perhaps the darker nuance of the entire place gave them an air of decadence and richness.
This was truly an impressive display of wealth. No wonder Huaisang is acting so pampered and spoiled. It's because this is all his father's doing! Well, I am definitely not complaining though.
******
"Should we just stay here instead of Gusu?" Xiao Zhan said with a hint of playfulness in his tone as he gazed out the window, admiring the view of Qinghe's mountain ranges and the numerous white peaks in the distance. He was busy with logistics arrangements and sketching a blueprint for the sanctuary layout in these past three days. Now that those things were done, he could finally take a breather.
Lan Wangji sighed, rubbing his forehead before walking over and standing in front of him. He took a hold of his chin lightly, bringing it up to face him. Looking deeply into Xiao Zhan's eyes, he replied solemnly and firmly, "No. You promised. We have to go back to Gusu soon."
"Oh, don't be so uptight, Lan Zhan. I just want to spend a little more time with you." Xiao Zhan pouted. He wrapped his arms around the taller male's neck as he spoke, "Once we go back, we won't be sharing a room anymore, which I'm already very upset about. Can't we extend our stay here for a few more days?"
Lan Wangji's brows furrowed together slightly, thinking about what Xiao Zhan just said. After giving the idea some consideration, he finally conceded. His hand curled around the narrow waistline of the slender figure standing before him, pulling him closer to himself. "Alright, a few more days then. We've accomplished all we came here for anyways and you deserve a break."
"Yeah." Xiao Zhan agreed readily as he snuggled against Lan Wangji's chest. He then remembered something, and an impish grin spread across his lips as his hands gently caressing the taller boy's sides.
Lan Wangji's breath hitched at the familiar funny sensation. He pulled away and saw the mischievous glint in Xiao Zhan's pair of eyes. "What are you scheming?"
"Well... I'm just trying to get my revenge." Xiao Zhan whispered in Lan Wangji's ear, his warm breaths tickling against the Lan's neck.
"Revenge?" Lan Wangji shivered involuntarily and closed his eyes at the ticklish feeling that was running up and down his lateral. "Wei Ying, let's not dwell on past events."
"That's rich coming from the head of discipline of Gusu Lan. No crime should go unpunished, right?" Xiao Zhan pointed out, still playing around with the boy. "But fortunately for you, we have non-violent policy in our relationship."
Lan Wangji slowly backed away until he was pressed up against the wall. He stared intently at the other boy before responding calmly, "Wei Ying... "
"Hmm?" Xiao Zhan murmured playfully as he took a step forward.
"You can kick me instead." Lan Wangji decided to risk it.
"How could I do such a thing?" Xiao Zhan laughed, his eyes were twinkling with amusement, "I can't possibly hurt someone who is precious to me."
This is going to be fun.
"Wei Ying, be merciful." Lan Wangji breathed heavily, as the other drew dangerously close, his eyes flickering to the corner of the room nervously.
Xiao Zhan shook his head lightly, "I think I said something along that line too last time. But a particular someone just ignored it."
"I was wrong." Lan Wangji admitted with a deep sigh.
"You certainly were." Xiao Zhan agreed with a smirk on his face. He stopped and studied Lan Wangji's reaction closely.
Soon, both of their laughter echoed across the room and mingled together. In this case, there was a certain sense of comfort and harmony amongst them. Lan Wangji tried his best to get away from the tickling hands while Xiao Zhan only seemed to have more enjoyment in torturing his beloved. Eventually, both of them eventually fell onto the bed, tangled up in each other's embrace while laughing and giggling like two children.
Their fun continued for a while until they heard someone clearing his throat behind them. Both of them broke away quickly and turned around to find Jiang Fengmian leaning against the door frame with a smile plastered on his face. Lan Wangji shot up immediately, straightening his robes, while Xiao Zhan hastily sat up as well, looking embarrassed as he rubbed at the nape of his neck.
"Uncle Jiang, you're here..." Xiao Zhan exclaimed, shooting a quick look towards Lan Wangji who simply stared blankly back at him, still dazed by the sudden appearance of his uncle.
"What were you two doing?" Jiang Fengmian asked casually as he walked further into the room Jiang, observing with a hint of mirth, "It looks like you were having quite a bit of fun that you didn't hear the knocking."
Xiao Zhan quickly scrambled to his feet to tidy up his clothes and hair and went over to the older man. "We were just playing a game together!"
Lan Wangji bowed respectfully after he managed to compose himself and stepped to stand next to Xiao Zhan. "How are you doing, Sect Leader Jiang?"
Jiang Fengmian laughed heartily at the sight of both of them acting bashful, "Good! Good. A little surprised with the adoption stuff but good nonetheless.
"I was surprised too." Xiao Zhan said.
Jiang Fengmian smiled softly as he looked at Xiao Zhan with fond expression. There was a hint of somberness in his eyes. "That reminds me. I had always wanted to adopt you as my son but unfortunately..."
He trailed off. Xiao Zhan understood exactly what he was saying without having to be told.
It's a good thing that you did not do just that. Hmm... Perhaps this adoption is going to get Jiang Cheng off my hair too. Now, there's no reason for him to think that I am going to steal his father or his spot from him again.
"Uncle Jiang, I am grateful enough that you brought me to your home and treats me like your son. I really do. I am happy enough to be able to call you as my uncle." Xiao Zhan assured, holding his uncle's gaze firmly with his eyes filled with sincerity. "Thank you for taking me in. "
"You are family and as such, I will always take care of you, A-Ying." Jiang Fengmian replied affectionately, patting him on the shoulder. "I am glad that you finally have someone for you to call 'father'. Just don't forget that you are still my nephew, our Yunmeng Jiang clan's precious head disciple and our pride. We'll support you unconditionally no matter what."
Xiao Zhan chuckled as he felt a warmth spreading through his chest at the words, "I know, Uncle Jiang."
"There's one more thing..." Jiang Fengmian continued speaking, his eyes flashing with a trace of amusement as he shifted his glance to the second Jade of Lan who was quietly stood beside his nephew with his golden pair of eyes were glued to Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan tilted his head to the side in inquiry, "What is it, Uncle Jiang?"
Jiang Fengmian chuckled lightly, "Do I need to attend another ceremony to welcome you to another family soon?"
"..." Xiao Zhan stood there, stunned for a moment. It was easy to tell that excitement was written all over uncle's face. He wanted to say something, but Jiang Fengmian beat him to it.
"Second Young Master Lan, I presume that you have that plan in mind?" Jiang Fengmian asked as he looked at Lan Wangji expectantly.
Lan Wangji paused briefly to look at Xiao Zhan whose eyes widened a little at his uncle's question. Then with a nod of his head, he spoke, "Yes, Sect Leader Jiang."
His uncle nodded with satisfaction. "Very well then. I shall leave it up to you to take care of the rest, Second Young Master Lan."
"Understood." Lan Wangji affirmed.
"Uncle Jiang, let's not pressure Lan Zhan like that." Xiao Zhan interjected and quickly added, "We are not in hurry."
"In hurry of what?" Sect Leader Nie chimed in as he appeared in the doorway suddenly. He wore an inquisitive expression as he observed the three of them.
Jiang Fengmian turned his gaze towards Sect Leader Nie and the corners of his lips curved upwards again as his eyes glinted happily, "Their marriage."
Xiao Zhan gasped in horror, "Uncle Jiang!"
"What? Your adoptive father deserves to know that you're in relationship, A-Ying." Jiang Fengmian explained in nonchalant manner as though it was nothing unusual.
"Oh, about that." Sect Leader Nie said, giving Jiang Fengmian a knowing glance as he looked between the two young men. Of course, he didn't miss the obvious care and concern that the Second Jade showed towards Xiao Zhan since day one. Not that he minded; it was very clear that their affection was mutual. If anything, Lan Wangji was probably the best match for him, "When do you two want to get married?"
Xiao Zhan spluttered incoherent words while Lan Wangji remained silent and completely stiff. After several moments, Xiao Zhan finally managed to speak. "Not now. It's not the right time yet."
Are we that obvious?
Lan Wangji glanced briefly in Xiao Zhan's direction and saw that Xiao Zhan was biting down on his lower lip. He gave his lover a reassuring smile which seemed to placate the man slightly and spoke up, "Wei Ying is right. We have more pressing matters to deal with first."
"Yes. Let's concentrate on the task at hand first, Father." Xiao Zhan said as he looked at his adoptive father with determination.
"Of course, of course. As you wish." Sect Leader Nie acquiesced with a grin on his face.
"Alright then. I guess we have to wait for you two to be ready." Jiang Fengmian remarked, his tone was half playful and half serious.
"Yes." Xiao Zhan muttered quietly before he changed his expression into a more professional one, "Shall we discuss about those matters further now?"
"Let's do that." Sect Leader Nie smiled as he nodded agreeably.
"What matters?" Jiang Fengmian inquired curiously. From the business-like look on Xiao Zhan's face, he knew immediately that it would be something serious and urgent.
"Let us move to my office to talk in private then." Sect Leader Nie suggested.
Once they entered the chamber, Sect Leader Nie shut the door behind them before he settled himself behind his desk and motioned to the other three to take a seat. Nie Mingjue was busy with training so he didn't join the meeting. Xiao Zhan didn't waste time as he immediately began to brief his uncle on what was happening.
"A war?!" Jiang Fengmian stared agape at the pair of teenagers in front of him, looking between them in confusion. "Is there no end to your surprises, A-Ying?"
"I suppose." Xiao Zhan replied with a wry smile.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jiang Fengmian asked in exasperation.
"We wanted to wait until we had some proof." Lan Wangji replied.
"That's why I am going to tell you everything we had gathered so far now, Uncle Jiang." Xiao Zhan stated.
The atmosphere of the office grew tense as Jiang Fengmian listened carefully to Xiao Zhan's report and the elder's eyes followed the Second Jade's movements on the detailed map spread out on the desk.
"There are around five hundred late stage cultivators, fifty are peak level elite fighters stationed in Langya." Xiao Zhan summarized as he gestured for the map. One peak level is equivalent to a hundred of those late stage ones.
Lan Wangji added, "There are troops in other cities as well. The one with core-melting hands is among those elite forces in Hedian."
"You mean, Wen Zhuliu?" Jiang Fengmian questioned, looking alarmed at the information given.
"Yes," Lan Wangji answered.
"Aren't his ability just a rumor?" Jiang Fengmian inquired.
"It's not." Xiao Zhan stated bluntly. "He is able to melt someone's core."
Jiang Fengmian was once again left speechless. His eyebrows knitted tightly together as he stared intensely at the map. "Wait, how do you two get this intel and this map?"
"Wei Ying drew the map." Lan Wangji revealed. The map was extremely detailed complete the routes and terrains of each city with annotations that were precise and accurate. They would not be mistaken for any random map drawn by someone who did not understand geography.
It took Jiang Fengmian a few seconds to comprehend the information that the couple just shared to him. As soon as he processed it, he turned towards Xiao Zhan with a frown, "Did you two snooped around the bases of the most dangerous man in the cultivation world all this while?"
Xiao Zhan blinked a few times before he replied calmly, "It's called reconnaissance and surveillance, Uncle Jiang."
Jiang Fengmian heaved a sigh as he placed both of his hands together, his head hanging low. "You two could've gotten hurt if they caught you."
"We won't ever get caught." Xiao Zhan assured with his usual composed expression.
"How are you so sure of that?" Jiang Fengmian asked sternly as he fixed his gaze onto his nephew.
"Trust me, Uncle Jiang," Xiao Zhan uttered. His gaze was steadfast as he spoke, "We have been careful and never got too close."
Jiang Fengmian sighed once again and shook his head at his nephew and the man next to him, "This boy... "
"Sect Leader Jiang, you should know that Wei Ying is very capable when it comes to intelligence gathering." Lan Wangji interrupted.
Jiang Fengmian shook his head, sighing softly, "Still, it is dangerous. What if something happened to either of you?"
"Uncle Jiang, I know you are worried about me, but I can take care of myself, and I will never let anything happen to either of us. Please ease your worry, Uncle Jiang." Xiao Zhan answered with a calm tone as he bowed to the sect leader.
"Wei Ying is far stronger than you think, Sect Leader Jiang," Lan Wangji declared seriously.
Jiang Fengmian's brows knotted together once more. It was obvious from the moment he met his nephew earlier that the teen's cultivation base had progressed rapidly since they parted. In fact, even he admitted that there was no way he would be able to defeat his nephew with all his cultivational powers now. Although the young man had achieved extraordinary achievements, this whole time his nephew had always been reckless so he couldn't help himself from worrying. He thought to himself as he looked at Xiao Zhan and saw the sincerity in his eyes and he instantly knew that Xiao Zhan wouldn't ever allow anyone to stop him from carrying out his responsibilities in protecting others. So, he decided to trust the teen and leave his worries aside temporarily. "Fine. I just hope that the both of you will keep your promise to stay out of trouble.".
It then dawned unto him. He looked towards Xiao Zhan and asked seriously, "Is this the reason why you upgraded our protection barrier the last time you came back?"
"Yes." Xiao Zhan confirmed. "It's a necessity and my obligation to protect the clan."
"I see." Jiang Fengmian said nodding.
"Sect Leader Jiang, I think you should know that my son, your nephew, singlehandedly exterminated a beast. In fact, he did that after bringing down another with Young Master Lan here." Sect Leader Nie spoke up. He glanced at Xiao Zhan from across the table. His tone was filled with admiration.
Jiang Fengmian raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Indeed, he did. I am truly impressed by his prowess." Sect Leader Nie expressed with a sense of pride.
Xiao Zhan remained silent as Sect Leader Nie shared the story of the recent night hunting, looking away as he didn't want to say anything about that. Lan Wangji's hand found his under the table, lightly squeezing it and he felt a surge of comfort pass through his body at the contact which caused him to smile.
Cheeky little pup.
Lan Wangji felt accomplished as he looked at Xiao Zhan's more relaxed demeanor.
After hearing the tale, Jiang Fengmian also became impressed and convinced by his nephew's strength. Even though he already expected that his nephew would accomplish great feat such as the one described by the sect leader of Nie Clan.
"Anyway, the important matter now is the upcoming battle. We need to cooperate with each other in order to win this war." Xiao Zhan said after the story finished.
Sect Leader Nie looked Jiang Fengmian, "So, what say you, Sect Leader Jiang? We're already family after all."
Jiang Fengmian paused briefly before he responded with an approving nod, "That's right. Let's work together."
"Good, let's do that." Sect Leader Nie smiled in satisfaction.
Both elders and the young men spent the rest of the day discussing about strategies and tactics that needed to be deployed. Xiao Zhan led the discussion with confidence and precision in his words, especially when it came to tactical plans. He didn't falter or hesitate at all and his knowledge in warfare was clearly displayed through his analyses. He was absolutely brilliant in military affairs and Lan Wangji was not a step behind him. They were a perfect team, and it was apparent from both their actions, which seemed to be perfectly suited for each other like a pair unstoppable forces.
"What about Gusu Lan Sect?" Sect Leader Nie inquired when they almost done discussing the groundwork.
"Lan Zhan and I will handle the matter directly with Qingheng-jun." Xiao Zhan replied quickly.
"My father will listen to Wei Ying." Lan Wangji added on.
"Is that right?" Sect Leader Nie questioned in surprise, eyes widening slightly at Lan Wangji's choice of words.
"He really likes Wei Ying." Lan Wangji revealed without hesitation. He turned to look at Xiao Zhan as he spoke.
"What he meant is, Qingheng-Jun and I are close enough to discuss matters of importance with him." Xiao Zhan explained, his cheeks tinged in pink.
Sect Leader Nie rubbed his chin as pondered over the information for a brief moment before asking, "Sect Leader Lan is close to you?"
"Well, yes." Xiao Zhan muttered in a somewhat diffident manner.
Sect Leader Nie concluded, "The man just came out of seclusion and you somehow managed to get close to him. That's good to hear."
"I suppose I shouldn't worry too much since Qingheng Jun approves of you." Jiang Fengmian agreed as he chuckled softly.
"Uncle Jiang..." Xiao Zhan said as he looked towards Jiang Fengmian with a shake of his head and an exasperated sigh, "Do you have to make comments like that?"
The elders laughed heartily at his grumbling and even Lan Wangji had a faint smile on his lips.
It was already late afternoon when they wrapped up the meeting.
"There is still some time left before the ceremony starts." Sect Leader Nie stated as he stood up, signaling the end of their strategic talk. He then added with warm tone, "Why don't you two youngsters go rest and freshen up first? Both of us will stay back to talk more and see you two at the main hall later."
The two teens nodded in acknowledgement and bowed. When they reached the doorframe, Xiao Zhan hesitated briefly and glanced back at Jiang Fengmian. The latter gave him a reassuring look and a soft smile and a nod to show that everything is going to be fine. The couple then left the study together, leaving the Sect Leaders alone to converse.