The fault in my core

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/36587695.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Relationship: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Luó "Mián Mián"
Qīngyáng/Wēn Qíng, Lan Qiren/OC - Relationship
Character: Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng
Wǎnyín, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Wēn Qíng (Módào Zǔshī), Jiāng
Yànlí, Luó "Mián Mián" Qīngyáng, Lán Qǐrén
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It
(Módào Zǔshī), Drama, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mpreg, Pregnant
Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Sunshot Campaign (Módào Zǔshī), getting
together early, First Time, Don't Like Don't Read, LQR and his tragic
backstory, Back on my Soulmate's Blessing bs, Fluff, jealous lwj,
Oblivious Wwx, Unreliable Narrator Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Mildly
Dubious Consent, Miscommunication, qingmian
Series: Part 51 of Many Lan babies
Stats: Published: 2022-01-22 Updated: 2022-02-28 Chapters: 5/13 Words:
6146

The fault in my core

by luckymoonly

Summary

Blood was seeping out of Wei Wuxian’s wound steadily as Wen Qing was finally about to
try to extract his golden core without killing him, when she saw it.

It wasn’t only the pain medication that was altering his core.
 Something goes wrong (Prologue)

“Thank you. Thank you Great Immortal One,” Jiang Cheng exclaimed, truly grateful, as Baoshan
Sanren told him to lay down on what felt like a rough homespun wool blanket.

The fact that he was blindfolded was making it difficult for him to do as asked without falling, but
Wei Wuxian had told him that he should never take his blindfold off while in the presence of
Baoshan Sanren; and so far, what his shixiong had told him had worked in his best interest.

Because Baoshan Sanren had agreed to restore his golden core.

His golden core which had been crushed by Wen Zhuliu barely a few days ago, leaving him
useless and cold. Unwholly.

Jiang Cheng wasn’t sure just how the great master was going to do so, but if anyone could, it was
her: one of the last great immortals that roamed the Earth.

His heart was racing as Baoshan Sanren asked him to drink something bitter out of a chipped cup,
careful not to spill any of it’s content or to choke on it.

He could feel the warmth of the setting sun on his skin as he laid back down. Smell the damp
scent of the tall grass that was surrounding him on this hidden mountain of Yiling.

And then, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Content.

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

“Things are going smoothly so far,” Wei Wuxian said with a grin, face a bit pale as Wen Qing took
off her weimao and gestured to him to come out of his hiding spot in the middle of some tall grass.

“I guess,” the doctor replied between gritted teeth as she prepared her surgery tools; Wen Ning
helping her to clean them with alcohol first before she got to use them on her two patients.

Since she wasn’t sure just how long it was going to take her to cut Wei Wuxian’s core from out of
his body, she decided not to open Jiang Cheng’s abdomen already.

That way, it would ensure his wound would remain clean and wouldn’t bleed too much either. And
she would be able to focus all of her attention and A-Ning’s on Wei Wuxian.

As she washed her hands, Wen Ning gave Wei Wuxian a concoction that would dull his pain but
was going to keep him awake, while she proceeded to the golden core exchange she had agreed to
perform earlier.

“This taste vile,” Wei Wuxian commented with a laugh as Wen Ning helped him to lay down close
to Jiang Cheng, untying Wei Wuxian’s sash and inner shirt and cleaning his abdomen with lemony
soap.

Wen Qing pursed her lips as she saw the burnt scar, the sigil of her own clan, ugly and half-healed
on Wei Wuxian’s left pectoral.
“Liking what you see?” Wei Wuxian asked with a laugh, face a shade paler as Wen Qing glared at
him.

“Absolutely not,” she spat. After all, the male body wasn’t doing anything to her. Female ones on
the other hand… “ This is going to hurt,” she added, mind clearing and getting ready to operate, as
Wen Ning held Wei Wuxian’s shoulders down and gave her a look.

He was ready to assist her, as always. Her beloved Didi.

“I don’t mind a little pain,” Wei Wuxian replied with a cheeky grin after a beat, Wen Qing shaking
her head as she held her surgical knife close to his sun-kissed skin.

Doing the first incision on Wei Wuxian’s lower abdomen was easy.

It wasn’t something Wen Qing hadn’t done before, blood spilling out of the wound and Wen Ning
sponging it off rapidly with a clean cloth.

Wei Wuxian was biting his bottom lips by now, probably more out of nervousness than out of pain,
since the concoction should be working already by now, successfully dulling any ache he could be
feeling.

Moving the muscles away under the skin was easy too.

Wen Qing’s hands were wet with warm blood already, but all was well for now. A breeze made
some of her hair fall into her face, A-Ning quick to tie them back properly.

Other than the disgusting sounds of her operation , squelches mostly, a lone bird chirped in the
distance.

The sun would have fully set soon and Wen Ning would need to light her so she could continue to
do this. To operate.

She could feel a drop of sweat roll down her back, dampening her robes.

Soon, Wei Wuxian’s core was offered to her eyes. But something was off with it.

“I think the pain medication is doing something to your golden core,” Wen Qing muttered as Wen
Ning wiped the curtain of sweat off of Wei Wuxian’s forehead, the latter having remained silent so
far. An odd occurrence. “I will need for the concoction to wear off before I do anything else,” the
doctor explained with a sigh as she checked her patient’s pulse. “This means that the rest of this
procedure is going to be extremely painful. Wei Wuxian, do you still want to get it done?”

Truly, this golden core transfer was madness! And still, Wei Wuxian nodded, face even paler.
“I’ve told you earlier that I do not fear pain,” he said. And I owe it to the Jiangs, he added in his
mind.

Wen Ning shared a look with his sister who took a steady breath; Wei Wuxian’s core glowing and
pulsing with strong energy with every breath that he took.

Wen Qing forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat and waited for another fifteen minutes
that felt more like a year, head spinning slightly as she took her knife more firmly into her dirty
hands.

She could do this.

Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng was still blissfully asleep, pain free and unaware of what was going on.

Of the big sacrifice Wei Wuxian was willing to make for him. Of how they had tricked him into
believing an immortal was going to fix him.

Blood was seeping out of Wei Wuxian’s wound steadily as Wen Qing was finally about to try to
extract his core without killing him, when she saw it.

It wasn’t only the pain medication that was altering his core.

She cursed. “Wei Wuxian, you are pregnant!”

 Decisions

Wei Wuxian’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m what?”

“Wei Wuxian, you are pregnant!” Wen Qing repeated more firmly, her face a shade paler as Wen
Ning went to sit next to her to look at the exposed golden core as well, wiping some more blood
around Wei Wuxian’s wound at the same time.

“That’s―That’s impossible!” Wei Wuxian retorted with a slight hesitation. “Wen Qing, I think
your weimao didn’t protect you enough from the sun as we climbed the mountain earlier.”

“If I wasn’t currently in the middle of performing a dangerous medical procedure on you, I would
slap you. With both hands. Hard,” Wen Qing retorted with annoyance as Wen Ning handed her a
cloth so she could wipe her bloody hands. “Have you ever heard about something called a
“Soulmate’s Blessing”?”

Wei Wuxian quirked an eyebrow at her, scrunching his nose. “No.”

Wen Qing let out a sigh, annoyed. “ Well, if two cultivators dual-cultivate together and are a fated
pair, a baby can be created on some occasions. This is a form of magical pregnancy. It is rare, but
not unheard of. A-Ning and I have witnessed it already back in Qishan,” she added as she glanced
toward Jiang Cheng’s still form.

The latter was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of the unexpected drama that was currently
unraveling next to him.

Wei Wuxian frowned even more. “Nope. That’s impossible Wen Qing. I swear that I am not
pregnant.”

The doctor seemed tired. Very tired. “ Did you or did you not dual-cultivate with someone in the
last few weeks? It is early days still and the pregnancy isn’t even detectable in your qi yet, but I can
assure you a baby is currently forming within your core.”

Wei Wuxian bit his bottom lip, more sweat rolling down the side of his pale face. “Well. Maybe.
But it was only once and we were drunk. At least he was drunk and I was tipsy,” he added with a
shrug.

Wen Qing, hands a bit cleaner, gave the dirty cloth back to Wen Ning. “Exactly. Congrats for
being an idiot. You are pregnant.”

Wei Wuxian frowned even more, before he took a deep breath. “ Fine. But I can deal with this
later,” he said. “Go on with the core transplant.”

Wen Qing shook her head. “You can’t. If I take your golden core out, the baby will die. And I am
not certain your core will be compatible with Jiang Wanyin either, now that a pregnancy has
started to alter it,” she added with seriousness.

Wei Wuxian’s face paled even more, if that was even possible. “Wen Qing?”

“I am serious, Wei Wuxian. Do you want me to go on with this, considering that this surgery is
probably bound to fail. Even more so now than before. And it will kill the child at the same time,”
she added with seriousness. “ Wanted or not.”
“I-“ Wei Wuxian’s head was spinning.

What was he supposed to do?

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙ Close to three weeks earlier ‧͙⁺˚*･ ☽

“Lan― Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian called with a start as he awoke and he sat in his bed.

His head was feeling strange, his mind somewhat hazy, and his body was aching as his eyes tried to
adjust to the bright light that surrounded him.

Which was strange, because he did not remember any light filtering in the cave of Dusk-Creek
Mountain earlier.

“That’s nice,” Jiang Cheng mumbled, somewhere close to him. “I’ve spent days to rescue you,
risking my life and all, and A-Jie has been taking care of you since you’ve arrived here; and it’s
Lan Wangji you call first,” he added with a groan.

Wei Wuxian closed his eyes, head pounding. Had the Xuanwu killed him after all? “Wha-?”

How come Jiang Cheng was here now? Was he dead too?

“I’m here, Wei Ying,” a calm voice suddenly said on his right; Wei Wuxian’s vision finally
settling as he caught sight of Lan Wangji, who was sitting in the corner of his room, while Jiang
Cheng was looming close to his bed, arms crossed over his chest and a pout on his face.

“I’m back at Lotus Pier?” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, incredulous, as Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes.

“Yes, all thanks to me!” Jiang Cheng retorted as he sat on the edge of Wei Wuxian’s bed. “ The
fever dropped,” he added to no one in particular as he pressed a hand on Wei Wuxian’s clammy
forehead, before he wiped it on Wei Wuxian’s rumpled inner shirt.

Wei Wuxian rubbed his eyes. His stomach grumbled. “How long have I been unconscious?”

“Five days,” Lan Wangji commented from where he sat as Jiang Cheng got up.

“Five days?” Wei Wuxian repeated as Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes.

“Yes, five days! Forcing us to take turn in carrying your fat ass from Qishan back to here,” he said
with annoyance.

“A-Cheng,” a voice admonished as someone slowly entered Wei Wuxian’s room.

It was Jiang Fengmian.

“Sect Leader Jiang,” Lan Wangji greeted the man with a polite bow as Jiang Cheng closed his
mouth at once.

“Jiang-shushu!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed joyfully as he tried to bow at his uncle, still feeling a bit
dizzy.

“No need. No need,” Jiang Fengmian said before he gave a severe look to his son. “Is this how a
future sect leader should act?” He asked as his daughter, Jiang Yanli, followed him into the room,
the latter rushing to Wei Wuxian’s side at once.

“A-Xian!” Jiang Yanli called happily as she sat on Wei Wuxian’s bed and she hugged him close;
Wei Wuxian wincing slightly.

His ribs were a bit painful.

“No, A-Die,” Jiang Cheng answered as Jiang Fengmian shook his head with disapproval, visibly
about to lecture him once more.

“Of course, your own son can never do anything correctly,” Yu Ziyuan spat as she entered the
room as well. “But Cangse Sanren’s on the other hand.”

“Not in front of Second Young Master Lan,” Jiang Fengmian said between gritted teeth as his wife
gave him an icy look.

“Of course, we got to keep up the appearances. We certainly do not want Second Young Master
Lan to tell everyone that you fathered a bastard with that harlot of a rogue cultivator,” she added as
everyone else in the room remained silent.

“San Niangzi,” Jiang Fengmian warned after a beat, both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli exchanging
a look. “ Let’s leave A-Xian alone so he can rest,” he continued, sounding rather tense.

“Of course, let’s let our first disciple laze around while our only son will go out and train,” Madam
Yu spat, sending a disgusted look toward Wei Wuxian before she turned around and she left the
room in a swirl of purple; Jiang Fengmian behind her.

“A-Xian, you must be so hungry! I’ll bring you some soup back,” Jiang Yanli said hastily, trying
to lighten the mood, as Lan Wangji remained silent and Jiang Cheng stormed out of the room after
his parents.

Wei Wuxian cleared his throat before he gave Lan Wangji a sheepish look, hair sticking
everywhere. “How is your leg, Lan Zhan?”

“Better,” Lan Wangji answered as he got up. “ I shall take my leave,” he added with a quick bow.

“LAN ZHAN! LAN ZHAN! You can’t leave already when I have just woken up,” Wei Wuxian
pleaded as he got up and he tried to hastily dress, a bit wobbly on his legs still. “ I’ve been wanting
you to visit Lotus Pier for so long,” he whined.

Lan Wangji seemed to hesitate for a moment as he paused in front of Wei Wuxian’s door.

“Mn. Not for long,” Lan Wangji said quietly. “I am needed in the Cloud Recesses. Father is still
gravely wounded.”
 A date in Yunmeng (Part 1)
Chapter Notes

*flashback intensifies*

For ambience, you can listen to this as you read the second part of this chapter :)

‟You’ll see Lan Zhan, Nuo-Jie’s pies are the best, “ Wei Wuxian stated as the late afternoon sun
shone down on him and Lan Wangji. The main pier was still very crowded at this hour, sellers
trying to attract customers left and right by speaking the loudest as they waved their precious wares
around. “Of course, the meat ones are the most delicious, but I guess you’ll never know because
you don’t eat meat,” Wei Wuxian added with a laugh as Lan Wangji simply followed him around,
silent. “Her spiced mushroom pies are very good too. Not spicy enough to my taste, but your Lan
palate should be fine.”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji replied non-commitally as he tried to take in all of the agitation around him.

He wasn’t a fan of crowded markets, but for Wei Ying, he was willing to do anything. Always.

“I’m so glad that you are here in Yunmeng with me,” Wei Wuxian continued, a while later as both
he and Lan Wangji were sat on the edge of the main pier, in a less crowded area; Wei Wuxian
dipping his bare feet in the cold water of the nearest lotus lake.

Remnants of the multiple snacks that he had picked earlier were lying around as Lan Wangji was
sitting as gracefully as ever next to him, not even a fold on his pristine robes and having barely
touched the food Wei Wuxian had hastily shoved into his hands during the afternoon; most of it
ending up being eaten by the latter in the end.

“Lan Zhan, you should come back here in the summer. It gets so hot you won’t believe it,” Wei
Wuxian babbled as he stuffed another bao into his mouth, chili sauce staining the corner of his
mouth red.

Lan Wangji gulped as discreetly as possible as he tried not to stare too much at Wei Ying’s pretty
mouth, panicking a bit internally at being able to spend some alone time in Lotus Pier with his
crush, when he knew his shufu was most definitively impatiently waiting for him in the Cloud
Recesses where there were many things to take care of in Xichen’s absence.

“And the girls are wearing less clothes in the summer too HAHAHA,” Wei Wuxian added with a
wink as Lan Wangji let out a sigh, his posture stiffening slightly.

Right. Girls. Because Wei Ying liked girls. Soft and pretty girls like Mianmian.

Wei Wuxian stared at him with concern. “Lan Zhan, is your leg bothering you again?”

“It’s fine,” Lan Wangji hastily replied as he got up, brushing his robes with the sweaty palm of his
hands and turning around to head back toward Lotus Pier.

The sun was about to set anyway and it would probably be for the better if the two of them
returned there in time for dinner. Plus, he did not particularly want Madam Yu to lash out at Wei
Ying again if the two of them were to be late.

Not that the woman seemed to need any particular reason to do so.

“Aiya Lan Zhan, we should stop by Uncle Three’s shop on the way back,” Wei Wuxian announced
as he tried to put his boots back on without drying his feet first, frowning and with his tongue
poking out of his mouth.

“How can you still be hungry?” Lan Wangji inquired as he barely turned around to look at Wei
Wuxian who was hopping after him, only one boot on for now as he struggled to put the second
one back on.

“I’ve spent more than a week without eating!” Wei Wuxian whined as he ran up to Lan Wangji,
visibly wanting to wrap a friendly arm around his shoulders, but remembering that the latter did not
like to be touched at the last second. “And Uncle Three sells lotus flower wine. Not food.”

After all, there was no need to anger Lan Wangji and to make him call him a nuisance, like he had
done in the Dusk-Creek mountain.

“You need to drink it with lotus seeds. It’s strong, but very sweet too,” Wei Wuxian continued as
Lan Wangji gave him a blank look. “You should be able to drink it when you’ll find yourself a
nice Yunmeng girl.”

“Already found one,” Lan Wangji mumbled as he walked a bit faster; Wei Wuxian letting out a
shocked gasp.

“LAN ZHAN!” Wei Wuxian called as he finally caught up to him.

But of course, Lan Wangji was unwilling to reveal anything about the mysterious Yunmeng girl he
was referring to, to Wei Wuxian’s greatest disappointment.

Could it be Shijie?

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

“Aiyo Wei Wuxian! A-jie told me that she gave you all of today’s freshly peeled lotus seeds
earlier,” Jiang Cheng complained as he joined Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji on the small pier that
was located right behind Wei Wuxian’s room later that day.

Night had fallen by then and only the faint light of paper lanterns was lighting the trio; the smell of
late blooming lotus permeating the air and the peaceful sounds of the lake surrounding them.

“A-Cheng, we truly needed them because Lan Zhan is about to drink lotus flower wine for the first
time,” Wei Wuxian argued, still surprised by the fact that Lan Wangji had agreed to taste the
alcoholic beverage without too much fuss, a determined expression on his handsome face as he
was about to put the small cup Wei Wuxian had filled for him to his lips.

He probably truly was smitten with that mysterious Yunmeng girl, whoever she was! (Not Shijie,
right?)

“Ridiculous,” Jiang Cheng spat, glancing with jealousy toward Lan Wangji first, before he turned
around.

After all, he usually was Wei Wuxian’s drinking buddy. Who did Lan Wangji thought that he was?
Overstaying in Lotus Pier and spending so much time with his shixiong!

“I thought Lans weren’t supposed to drink in the first place?” Jiang Cheng added with displeasure,
a scowl on his face.

Wei Wuxian shrugged. “We are not in the Cloud Recesses,” he countered as his shidi rolled his
eyes before he left the pier and he returned to his room. “Fine. Be boring, A-Cheng,” he added as
he heard a door slam. Then, he returned his gaze on Lan Wangji.

“So, Lan Zhan! How is-Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian exclaimed as he discovered that Lan Wangji had
dropped his barely touched cup, spilling wine on the pier, and seeming to be sound asleep right
where he sat!

Wei Wuxian let out a loud laugh at that, before he took a generous swig of lotus flower wine
directly from the bottle. “Who would have thought that the Second Jade of Lan was such a
lightweight?” He commented with a smile, before he sat back down next to Lan Wangji, quietly
listening to the evening sounds for a bit.

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

The bottle of lotus flower wine was almost already empty when Lan Wangji finally reopened his
eyes.

“Lan Zhan, for a moment, I though that I had lost you for the night,” Wei Wuxian announced with
a laugh as Lan Wangji blinked slowly like a cat before he moved closer to him.

Not that the two of them were sitting very far apart from each other to begin with...

“You might not be a desperate case for Yunmeng girls then,” Wei Wuxian commented, still
laughing, as he ended up with his back against the railing of the bridge that connected his pier to
Jiang Cheng’s room.

“Mn. What should I do next?” Lan Wangji inquired, vision slightly unfocused as he moved even
closer to Wei Wuxian. His forehead ribbon seemed a bit askew.

Wei Wuxian smiled at him. Was Lan Zhan drunk? With so little wine?

“Now, Lan Zhan, to truly impress all the pretty Yunmeng girls, you'll need to eat some lotus seeds
before every sip of wine,” Wei Wuxian commented as he himself popped a few lotus seeds into his
mouth and he took another swig of wine; some of the liquor sliding down the side of his mouth and
into his collar, making his skin glisten.

“Mn,” Lan Wangji agreed, nodding slowly as he leaned closer to Wei Wuxian; his face so close
now that the latter could feel his warm breath on his skin.

Then, Lan Wangji slowly picked a few lotus seeds from the bowl Wei Wuxian was still holding in
his hands.
“Yes, like that,” Wei Wuxian commented, mouth suddenly dry and cheeks feeling hot. For some
odd reason.

The evening wasn't even that warm! Was he drunk as well?

“And now, I need to drink some more wine?” Lan Wangji inquired with a weird tilt of his head as
Wei Wuxian nodded, taking a quick sip of said wine; suddenly lost for words, before he handed
the wine bottle to Lan Wangji, who pushed it aside instead, closed the distance between them and
pressed his lips on Wei Ying’s.
 A date in Yunmeng (Part 2)
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

If Wei Wuxian stiffened slightly at first, surprised that Lan Wangji had actually kissed him on the
mouth, he soon came to the conclusion that the latter was probably too drunk by this point to really
think about what he was doing thoroughly.

Which was fine. Really.

Or so Wei Wuxian thought as he tried to tilt his head to the side when Lan Wangji tangled the
fingers of his left hand into his hair in order to press their mouths even closer together, deepening
their kiss.

And when, a few seconds later, Wei Wuxian felt Lan Wangji’s tongue poke at the entrance of his
mouth, he hesitated for only a second before he opened his lips.

After all, what they were doing right now was all to improve Lan Wangji’s flirting skills for when
he was going to find himself a nice Yunmeng girl.

A Yunmeng girl whom he had already found apparently. Or so he had implied earlier.

And since Wei Wuxian absolutely had no experience in the kissing department, this couldn’t hurt
him either, right?

This was just a little practice kissing between friends. What could go wrong?

Which was why Wei Wuxian did allow Lan Wangji’s tongue into his plush mouth, although he
wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do next with his own tongue, letting out a surprised
sound as Lan Wangji caressed his tongue with his own and he adroitly stole the lotus seed Wei
Wuxian had popped into his mouth earlier and he brought it back to his own.

Which was. Yeah. Kind of bold from his part!

Wei Wuxian, cheeks now even more red, let out a confused laugh as Lan Wangji pulled back from
him, spit at the corner of both of their mouths, before he discreetly swallowed the stolen lotus seed.

“Lan Zhan, how shameless!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed as he tried to keep his countenance, feeling
blood rush to his head and making him feel a bit dizzy. “Yunmeng girls will love it,” he added
quickly as Lan Wangji frowned at him.

“Maybe we should practice some more,” Lan Wangji mumbled, a look of displeasure on his face.

Wei Wuxian nodded, his entire face burning. Was he a bad kisser?

“Right,” he stuttered before he watched Lan Wangji pop a new lotus seed into his mouth, the latter
then leaning forward and visibly waiting for Wei Wuxian to kiss him.

And Wei Wuxian took a shaky breath before he closed his eyes and he did exactly just that.

After all, what sort of friend would he be if he didn’t help Lan Wangji out in his hour of need?

This second kiss was less messy and when Lan Wangji actually bit his plump bottom lip, Wei
Wuxian let out an involuntary moan.

Which was embarrassing, to say the least; Wei Wuxian’s entire body feeling so so hot by now.

Because Lan Zhan was in fact a very good kisser. Or perhaps Wei Wuxian was a bit more tipsy
than he thought earlier?

“Lan Zhan, you know what else Yunmeng girls like upon all? Swimming,” he stuttered before he
actually turned around and he threw himself fully clothed into the lake; the cold water instantly
clearing his mind.

Although, Wei Wuxian hadn’t expected Lan Wangji to actually jump in the lake after him,
splashing water everywhere and emerging a few seconds later with a giant lotus leaf on the top of
his head; making Wei Wuxian laugh out loud.

“Look at you now, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, still laughing. “We better head back to
my room before either of us catch a cold or A-Cheng sees us,” he added as he swam back to the
pier, easily pulling himself back up on it; Lan Wangji following swiftly behind him.

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

Now, as both he and Lan Zhan were back inside his room, Wei Wuxian tried very hard not to stare
too much at him.

If Lan Zhan had taken the lotus leaf off of his head by now, taking his forehead ribbon off along
with it, the water had made his white robes translucent and it was a bit difficult for Wei Wuxian
not to stare at the outline of his broad shoulders, his firm thighs and yeah- the rest of him. Which
was all big and strong and perfect and masculine.

Which was normal, because Wei Wuxian was tipsy himself. And Lan Zhan was so handsome. So
so handsome.

And Lan Zhan was staring at him so seriously, it was making Wei Wuxian’s throat dry and his
body feel somewhat tingly.

Or maybe it was because he was going to get a fever again?

“Wei Ying, what else does Yunmeng girls like?” Lan Wangji asked, his gaze feeling intense on
Wei Wuxian, as the latter sat on his bed.

But Wei Wuxian was speechless for now as he began to take his wet clothes off.

Because he needed to change. Before he broke into a fever. Again. Right?

“Eating peppers? And hugs? Maybe we should kiss some more?” Wei Wuxian asked a bit
dumbly, visibly not thinking things through a while later as Lan Wangji took a step toward him and
he began to disrobe as well.

Which was fine. Wei Wuxian had changed and had even swum with his shidis multiple times after
all.

“Mn,” Lan Wangji replied as he took at least two layers of robes off and Wei Wuxian could only
stare and stare at him until Lan Wangji sat down on the bed next to him and the two of them were
only dressed in their wet pants. “We should kiss some more.” Lan Wangji agreed before they did
just that.

Again and again.

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

Later, it was easy to let Lan Zhan take the lead as the two of them were warm, naked and tangled
together on Wei Wuxian’s bed, their practice kissing turning into something else entirely.

Which was fine, because they were simply friends who were experiencing new things together.

And later, when the kissing escalated some more and it turned into something that was messy and
clumsy and a bit painful, it was also fine.

Yunmeng girls would probably not like the painful part, but Wei Wuxian did not really mind. He
wasn’t a girl after all, and he certainly did not know that two men could be joined together like this.

But he and Lan Zhan were friends and friends helped each other.

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

When Wei Wuxian woke up the next day, he was surprised by the fact that he seemed to have
fallen asleep on something hard and warm.

He frowned.

The sun wasn’t even fully up by now, which was a bit odd too.

Why was he up so early to begin with?

Still, as he slowly regained consciousness, he discovered that what his head was actually resting on
was Lan Zhan’s toned pectorals.

Because he had fallen asleep on top of Lan Zhan, who seemed to be awake himself, right after they
had-

Oh. Oh! The memory of last night came back to Wei Wuxian’s mind in a rush, making his head
spin as he rolled away from Lan Wangji and he sat on the middle of his ruined sheets with a wince.

His back was hurting. His thighs were burning and his ass felt tender and uncomfortable.

His thighs were sticky too. And they became even more so as he sat on the bed.

Wei Wuxian felt like slapping himself. In the face. Multiple times.

For sure, Lan Zhan was going to be horrified when he was going to find out what they had done
 together last night. What Wei Wuxian had dared to do with him while he was drunk.

And right when the two of them were finally becoming friends! Aiyo…

“Lan Zhan, you really are great,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed as Lan Wangji slowly blinked at him, a
slight frown on his handsome face.

Without his forehead ribbon on, he seemed so different. “ Wei Ying?”

“Last night was fun. You know, just friends being friends,” Wei Wuxian continued as he felt more
anxious by the second, feeling panic rise and rise in his chest.

Lan Wangji frowned even more at him, looking even more displeased. “Just friends being
friends?”

Wei Wuxian nodded eagerly as he got up, more of Lan Wangji’s semen dripping down his thighs
as he hastily tried to dress. “Yes. That’s what friends do. Help each other. And now that we’ve
been through life and almost death together, we are good friends, are we not, Lan Zhan?” He
babbled as he tied his inner shirt close. “And Yunmeng girls will definitively have no more secrets
for you,” Wei Wuxian added with a smile.

“I. I think I need to return to the Cloud Recesses,” Lan Wangji simply retorted as he hastily
grabbed his forehead ribbon and he silently got dressed; Wei Wuxian messily tying his hair and
nodding some more.

“Of course. Of course, Lan Zhan. We’ll see each other soon enough anyway.”

But Lan Wangji didn’t say anything else after that, looking somber as he left Wei Wuxian’s room,
the latter silently following him to Lotus Hall for a very tense breakfast with the Jiangs.

Chapter End Notes

*End of flashback*
 Maybe
Chapter Notes

The LWJ scene in this chapter was inspired by his scene with one of the Lan elders in
season 1 of the donghua.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Wen Qing, what are the odds of the golden core transplant to be a success now? You said they
were lower?“ Wei Wuxian inquired, head still spinning and now out of breath. “30%? 25%?”

Wen Qing let out an annoyed sigh. “I’d say perhaps 5%. Maybe even less.”

Wei Wuxian gulped audibly. “It’s still 5%,” he said, not sounding as convinced as earlier.

Earlier, when he, Wen Qing and Wen Ning had devised all of this together. This questionable
surgery.

When Wei Wuxian hadn’t known yet that the warm night in Yunmeng he had shared with Lan
Wangji had some unexpected consequences.

Not necessarily unwanted, if Wei Wuxian was being truly honest with himself. But unexpected,
yes.

“Wei Wuxian, I hate you so much,” Wen Qing hissed before she shared a look with her sibling.
She was sweating profusely even though night had fallen and it wasn’t particularly warm on this
lonely Yiling mountain. “5% is too low. And don’t even think about quoting that ridiculous Jiang
motto once more to me,” she warned.

Meanwhile, sat next to her, Wen Ning, who had mostly remained silent so far, was still sponging
the blood of Wei Wuxian’s wound, ready to give his sister the tools she would need in order to
stitch it close and fast.

And inside of Wei Wuxian’s mind, which was always a whirlwind to begin with, multiple thoughts
were battling against each others.

“But the Jiangs have always been there for me,” he said to no one in particular. “Yu-ayi… Jiang-
shushu, Jiang Cheng, Shijie…”

“Wei Wuxian, your life is also worth something,” Wen Qing argued as Wen Ning handed her a
clean needle. “Your unborn child’s life is also worth something. If you are not doing this for
yourself, do this for your child’s other parent.”

Wei Wuxian gulped once more.“I don’t think Lan- I don’t think the other parent will wish to-”

Wen Qing let out a groan. “Fine. I am going to decide this for you,” she said with determination,
holding the needle steady in her right hand. “A-Ning, give me some thread for the stitches. We are
putting an end to this madness now.”

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian’s hands, on the contrary, were shaking.

His whole body was shaking. “But-But,” he began before he closed his mouth, already feeling the
sting of the needle waving through his skin.

He was selfish.

He felt like throwing up.

He was betraying the Jiangs.

All for this.

This small and stubborn little thing that wanted to live inside him and who was already changing
the course of his entire life.

Of Jiang Cheng’s.

Would his shidi ever forgive him for this?

☽ ･*˚⁺‧͙

“Jiang-guniang,” Lan Wangji politely greeted Jiang Yanli as soon as he and the Lan disciples who
were traveling with him met her on the road from Meishan to Baling; the discreet handmaidens
who were supposed to keep her safe during her travels bowing back to them.

“Second Young Master Lan, thank you for meeting me here,” Jiang Yanli greeted him back. She
looked tired, her face pale and deep dark circles visible under eyes. Grief was never kind to
anyone. “I am sorry for your father’s passing,” she added with a soft smile.

Lan Wangji nodded minutely. “And I am sorry for-“ he began, unsure of what to say next.

What was one supposed to say to someone who had just lost their entire home? Their clan? Close
to their entire family? All in the space of one night?

And Lan Wangji wasn’t even good with words to begin with! Which was why he remained silent
and bowed politely once more instead.

“Second Young Master Lan, any news of my brothers?” Jiang Yanli asked quietly, hope audible in
her voice; later, as the two of them were already traveling back toward the Cloud Recesses under
the cover of the night, the Lan disciples alert around them.

Brothers. Because Jiang Yanli considered Wei Ying as her brother too.

Lan Wangji shook his head. “We have found nothing yet about Sect Leader Jiang or Wei Ying’s
whereabouts,” he replied. “But Lan disciples are still looking for them.”

“I know they are safe for now,” Jiang Yanli said. “In my heart. I would know if something had
happened to them,” she added with confidence.

“Mn,” Lan Wangji retorted, still worried and not truly convinced for his part.

Where was Wei Ying now? Why had he not found him yet?
 But no one had any answers for him; his head still filled with thoughts of Yunmeng and what had
happened there with Wei Ying. His chapped lips. His tanned skin. His narrow hips and the softness
of his flesh.

If only Lan Wangji had been more brave that night. Less vague.

Maybe. Maybe.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you for reading!

As always, you can find me on Tumblr: @luckymoonly

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!