Chapter Text
The older Lan Wangji was truly the most beautiful man Wei Wuxian had ever seen, as well as the wisest and most virtuous.
In his humble opinion, he deserved to take the number one spot on the list of eligible young masters. He certainly exemplified all the good virtues of a GusuLan cultivator - elegant, refined, and righteous - and lived up to his reputation as a Jade of Lan.
Wei Wuxian once thought that his Lan Er-gege was the paragon of such a cultivator, but now it was obvious that Er-gege still had room to grow.
Not for the first time, Wei Wuxian thought, This is what Lan Zhan will be like in the future…
This thought made him sigh dreamily, imagining being able to witness himself on how Lan Wangji would grow up to be so tall and manly - to watch as his jawline would sharpen, his shoulders broaden, his arms thicken…
He had once seen Hanguang-jun's arms when he'd rolled them up for training. Uncovered, they had bulged with muscle, perfectly sculpted, and looked very thick. And then Hanguang-jun had scooped him up so easily with one arm, that one time a dog had come near him in town.
Even Wei Wuxian might have allowed himself to feel a little jealousy at the physical state of Lan Wangji's body and his powerful cultivation in the future, but… somehow, it made him feel kind of hot and tingly instead?
It was a strange feeling. Wei Wuxian was not sure what to make of that, but...! It wasn't bad at all! Sure, his heart might beat a little faster and he would sweat a little more, but he had gotten himself checked by the healers and they had confirmed he wasn't dying.
Besides, he was not a jealous person by nature, and could only feel excitement for the present Lan Wangji. After all, wasn't it amazing to be able to have a glimpse into what one's future self would become?
He had asked Hanguang-jun once, what the future Wei Wuxian was like. He had merely received a slow thoughtful blink and the vague answer of, "Easy to bully, easy to hold. Soft, yet firm like a peach."
Admittedly, even with all of his literary knowledge, Wei Wuxian still didn't understand what that meant. But Hanguang-jun had said it so poetically and wisely that he didn't really mind because Hanguang-jun's voice was just that mellow. It had made Wei Wuxian shyly ask if the laoshi would please recite some poetry for him.
A second sigh escaped from Wei Wuxian's mouth. He was getting distracted again, prolonging his detention. His paper was filled with nothing but doodles within the two hours he had been in the library.
He snuck a peek at the teenage Lan Wangji sitting at his own desk under the window, quietly doing his homework as usual. The library's window accentuated his elegance, and the sunlight seemed to cast him in a delicate glow.
Wei Wuxian had once seen Lan Wangji's bare body in the Cold Spring. Ah, to think he'd been hiding such a deceptively strong form under all those layers. He'd been impressed then, but his admiration could only continue to rise after meeting Hanguang-jun.
Hanguang-jun was just so cool! The coolest man Wei Wuxian had ever met! The nicest too!
It pleased Wei Wuxian immensely to know that in the future, he and Lan Wangji would become so close. He would be able to see that evolution of coolness!
Another dreamy sigh escaped from his mouth while his face grew warm.
He was trying so hard to be Lan Wangji's friend. It was satisfying to know that his efforts would eventually pay off in the end, and not only that, but that Lan Wangji would be so good to him in the future.
He barely repressed a squeal that was threatening to burst out, and the strange feeling of wanting to roll around on the ground. Did his future self feel like this too, everytime Hanguang-jun looked at him?
"Wei Ying, you're not writing," the present Lan Wangji's stern voice pulled him from his thoughts. Wei Wuxian pouted and set his brush down with a huff. In comparison, this teenage Lan Wangji was just so reticent, but in its own way, that was charming too.
He ignored his warning glare and scooted closer to him, right up to his side until their shoulders were touching. He leaned in closer, and grumbled when Lan Wangji stubbornly turned his head away from him. Hanguang-jun would always pat him on the head if he did this.
"You're so mean to me," Wei Wuxian complained. "You're finally calling me by name, which means we're friends now. Why can't you be nicer?"
Look how soft and fluffy this one's hair is. Come touch, he thought simultaneously. The afternoon sun was doing strange things to him, making him feel lazy and craving to be petted like an indolent cat.
Lan Wangji's hands clenched white around his own brush. Splotches of ink dripped from its point, staining the paper in front of him.
"Why can't you be serious?" he snapped back.
"I am serious! I truly want to be friends with you, Er-gege. Look at me, I would not lie nor tease you about these kinds of matters."
Finally, Lan Wangji turned his head back to look at him. Wei Wuxian peered up behind his eyelashes. He tilted his head cutely, and gave the sweetest smile he had, the one that always made people want to give him free food.
But he was truly being sincere, trying to show that honesty through his body. It certainly worked on Hanguang-jun anyhow, making him reach out to tap his nose lightly before succumbing to his whims.
It didn't seem to have a positive effect on Lan Wangji though. Instead, it seemed to make him a little more annoyed because the brush in his hand snapped and a flash of rage crossed his features.
The sound of the brush breaking snapped Wei Wuxian out of his strange daze and his smile slowly fell.
The paper was truly ruined now, ink splattering everywhere from the fallen half of the brush. Lan Wangji carefully set the other broken half down, taking a deep and even breath, as if to calm himself. The tip of his ears were extremely red.
Wei Wuxian asked with hesitance, "Lan Zhan? Wangji-xiong? Are you okay?"
Lan Wangji turned his eyes a little to the side, radiating tense silence.
That was right, lying was against the rules.
At this moment, a feeling of shame overtook Wei Wuxian's entire state of being. He hadn't spent much time with Lan Wangji alone in a while, and had become too accustomed to Hanguang-jun's openness towards him. He'd forgotten that with this younger master, they had still yet to become on good terms with each other.
Harassing him like this was kind of intolerable, wasn't it?
Then...
...Lan Wangji really hated him, didn't he?
A sour and bitter feeling welled up inside his heart, numbing his mind to the point that he almost felt dizzy. He drew back, quiet and numb, not knowing what to do to make the situation better for the both of them.
What could Wei Wuxian say? Maybe the timeline from where Hanguang-jun was from, something went different. Maybe there was just one path taken that had changed the course of history. Maybe Wei Wuxian did something wrong. Maybe… maybe, Hanguang-jun was merely humoring him.
The depth of this hurt surprised even himself.
After all, it wasn't too long ago that he would have been able to brush off these kinds of feelings and laugh through it, but somehow, Lan Wangji had become an important person in his heart. He couldn't do that anymore. Hanguang-jun was also someone who Wei Wuxian admired immensely. He couldn't stand the thought that he was being pitied like a small child by such a man.
Wei Wuxian looked at the broken brush once more. He smiled weakly.
"Sorry," he said. "You don't have to believe me. You don't even have to like me. I just… no, nevermind. I'm sorry."
He stood up, intending to go back to his seat and not daring to look at Lan Wangji out of sheer embarrassment. He would finish his work diligently, and not bother him further.
But as he moved, Lan Wangji's hand shot up to grab his wrist, pulling him back down with a sharp tug.
"Eh?!"
Wei Wuxian fell onto his lap, an awkward position that left him scrabbling up until he ended up too close to Lan Wangji's face, his arms caught between their bodies. A sudden thought came to his mind, that this position felt too intimate.
With that, he became too much aware of how his legs had fallen around Lan Wangji's waist and how his front was pressed so close to Lan Wangji's. If he moved his face just a little, his lips would brush against Lan Wangji's. They looked soft to touch. Lan Wangji was also staring at him too intently, making him want to hide.
Wei Wuxian's face flared red.
"This is too much!" he said, squirming, trying to pull away. "Lan Er-gege, are you trying to bully me? Don't you think you've had enough? I get it, okay, you really don't need to do this."
Lan Wangji took another deep breath. His grip seemed to become tighter and his other hand rested firmly on Wei Wuxian's hips, grounding him.
"I don't... dislike you," Lan Wangji said. "I believe you."
There was a small frown, tugging his lips downward. A furrow was starting to develop between his brows. Was he frustrated?
Wei Wuxian nervously laughed. "Lan Zhan, you don't have to lie to spare my silly feelings. I prefer you to be honest with me, isn't it part of your rules anyways?"
Wei Wuxian patted Lan Wangji's face lightly with his free hand. It felt surprisingly warm. He thought it'd be cool to touch, like ice.
He tried to get up once more, but Lan Wangji tugged him down again.
His face was becoming too hot, and it was a sensation that was becoming more familiar the longer he interacted with Lan Wangji or his future self.
Lan Wangji said, "Lying is prohibited."
"I know that," Wei Wuxian practically wailed out. "Okay, I believe you now! Lan Zhan, you're being so strange these days. I can't tell what you want from me."
Lan Wangji, "I want you to answer my question."
"Question?"
Lan Wangji glowered. "Why does Wei Ying like Hanguang-jun so much?"
Wei Wuxian, "What do you mean?"
Lan Wangji, sullen, "Wei Ying is always shamelessly clinging to him. Wei Ying is always seeking his attention. Wei Ying is always thinking about him."
Wei Wuxian felt wronged somehow, as if Lan Wangji was accusing him of something. "I don't cling! And- and Hanguang-jun is just good to me! He is a cool person! How can I not want to see him?!"
"How is he cool?" Lan Wangji insisted. "How is he good?" His face was even closer now, if possible, eyes narrowed in a fierce manner. They were millimeters away from each other.
Wei Wuxian stammered and stuttered. He couldn't help but keep looking at Lan Wangji's pursed lips. It seemed as if the air he was breathing was being given by Lan Wangji, himself, and the close proximity was making him so dizzy that he felt like he was going to pass out, right there in Lan Wangji's arms.
To prevent himself from losing his mind, he could only open his mouth and let the words come right off his tongue:
"How- how is he good? Well. Well, I mean- well. I mean! Because- because he's a cool- well, I mean. You- that is the future- that is our Senior Lan. Hanguang-jun, I mean. He- he lets me talk all day long, and he doesn't complain when- when I ask if he can carry me, and. And! He buys me things! And he cooks me yummy food, and he buys me trinkets from the markets, and he pats my head nicely, and he- "
"-called me easy and threw me out the window!" Wei Wuxian was so outraged, he was panting in exertion by the time he was finished telling his story. He had been pacing and flailing his arms, looking undoubtedly silly to anyone who would be passing by in their little spot on top of a small hill.
Sitting on the soft grass was his audience - Jiang Cheng - who had a strange and twitchy look on his face.
"Lan Wangji was holding you on his lap," he finally repeated.
A rosy pink blush covered Wei Wuxian's cheeks, but he turned his head with a hrmph.
"Yes, I already went over that part," Wei Wuxian said loudly, shifting his feet. He crossed his arms defensively. "But more importantly, I somehow offended him again and I don't know what I did this time."
"Second Master Lan was holding you… like that." Jiang Cheng's face looked as if he had realized something awful. Something so terrible that his entire world was changing. "That guy doesn't even like to touch people. He doesn't like people."
Wei Wuxian bit his lips, feeling like he too was on the verge of a new revelation. However, he was not in the particular mood to investigate that just yet.
"Stop that!" he snapped. "Weren't you listening to my story?! Why aren't you mad too!"
Jiang Cheng flapped his hand at him and said in a faint tone, "No, shut up, I was definitely listening. Let me just say this, that I've been thinking about a lot of things these past few days."
Wei Wuxian was immediately suspicious. "Like what?"
"Like the fact that Hanguang-jun - that is Lan Wangji's future self - spoils you immensely. At first, I thought that guy finally learned to be more patient. But Wei Wuxian, you have him wrapped around your little finger."
Wei Wuxian, "I do?"
Jiang Cheng shook his head, tsk-ing. "This is Lan Wangji, we are talking about, who is such a cold fish. Yet, his future self dotes on you, fusses over you, even smiles at you, and is too familiar with your thoughts and habits."
"He's good to me," Wei Wuxian said, churlish. He refused to look at Jiang Cheng in the eyes. "I told you that Lan Wangji and I are close friends."
Jiang Cheng leapt up to his feet, red veins crawling into his eyes. He was already descending into hysterics.
"Wei Wuxian! You listen here! I consider you my sworn brother and I want you to stand by my side when I become Sect Leader, and I swear that if you even think about moving into the GusuLan Sect then I'll break your legs right here and right now!
I refuse! I refuse to call Lan Wangji my brother-in-law! You can't make me! This is illegal now, against Yunmeng law! You can't marry him-"
Wei Wuxian screamed, jumping at Jiang Cheng to cover his mouth and proceeded to accidentally knock them both over to the ground where they both rolled several paces down the hill and straight into an unfortunate group of passing Lan disciples and sending them all into an unfortunately placed pond.
Wei Wuxian had particularly hit his head enough to knock himself unconscious, so as he was sent to the healers, Jiang Cheng was assigned to do laborious chores and copy three times from the book of Morality and Judgement.
As Jiang Cheng wiped down the floors, he bitterly thought that Wei Wuxian hit his head on purpose so he could escape punishment.
(He was wrong, of course. Wei Wuxian was aiming to knock the memories of the day straight out of his brain - an unsuccessful attempt, but the lack of punishment was a bonus.)
When Wei Wuxian woke up in the healing wards to Hanguang-jun's soothing presence, he wondered. Hanguang-jun regarded him the same as always, with open warmth and fondness written into every single of the barely-there lines of his face. It almost felt like devotion. Wei Wuxian wondered.
He continued to wonder as Lan Wangji came within the next few minutes, frigid as he saluted respectfully to his older self. But his eyes were hard and flinty, and he visibly scowled at how Wei Wuxian had unconsciously already started to cling at Hanguang-jun's arm. Hanguang-jun did not look as soft when he greeted his younger self, but there was some kind of icy amusement in the way he looked at him.
Honestly, these two… really were the same person, weren't they. How could Wei Wuxian keep forgetting?
As the two selves, present and future, regarded each other in cold silence, Wei Wuxian wrapped his blanket tighter around himself and rolled over to face the other side. His face was completely flushed a rosy pink, and he was too afraid to consider what his expression might look like.
He couldn't help but remember, being held in Lan Wangji's lap, being so close to that jade-like face, and that at that moment, he had felt like they were connected by a single breath.
He blushed a deeper red. He wondered.