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Chapter Text

It had started as an accident, actually. When solving a mystery of children disappearing from a village in the mortal realm, Lan Wangji disguised himself as a helpless child to investigate. It proved so effective that not just the child kidnapping demon did not see it coming, but also his fellow compatriots from the clan as well. After defeating the demon and bringing the children to safety, his compatriots grew confused as to where their illustrious Second Young Master had gone.

He reassured them when he changed back into an adult. Granted, most of the immortals had the ability to shapeshift back and forth between their child form and adult form if they studied the art of disguise. But no one would go to the trouble of pretending to be a child, for they focused on cultivation and becoming stronger. Unless one had ascended as a child, none of the older immortals would even consider acting like a child. 

Neither would Lan Wangji, but he had a reason to do so. Even in childhood, he did not spend a lot of time with other people, and thus always kept to himself whenever possible. The outside world knows him as Hanguang-jun, the younger of the Twin Jades of the Gusu Lan clan. He lives in the Cloud Recesses, and rarely leaves it unless necessary. In fact, people clamour for the opportunity to meet Lan Wangji, who was so elusive that people could only imagine Lan Xichen having a twin brother.

It got frustrating to see the bountiful amount of gifts left on his desk in the Library Pavilion (so much waste that could be used for better purposes, his uncle says) and the amount of young women barging into the classroom to see him. This forced Lan Wangji to resort to either disguise himself as a normal disciple by changing his clothes, or… a child. He hated the first option because it meant he was lying about his status and had something to hide about being from the main line.

However as a child, he received less attention and it was less… severe when it came to lying? The first time he did it, it was to get away from the newly transferred students. It felt amazing to finally be left alone. Out of sight, out of mind. Then, it grew to become a form of escape from his responsibilities, even for a short while. Lan Xichen was amused when he found his brother walking out of the classroom in plain sight as the many ladies waited outside the lanshi to no avail.

“Wangji, I must say this is quite clever. Please do make sure it does not affect your duties.”

“I will not abuse this any more than I have, Brother.”

“Don’t worry, I know you won’t. I won’t tell Uncle either. It really makes me feel nostalgic about our childhoods when we used to play together. You were so cute back then.” Lan Xichen smiled, not noticing his brother’s ears turning red. “Just make sure to take care of yourself outside. There are advantages and disadvantages of such a form after all.” He then patted him on the head.

Lan Wangji allowed it, reminiscing his childhood as his brother had hesitated in showing affection once they got older. It felt nice.

As dragons, they were known for their strength and speed. The adults had tougher scales and claws, able to shapeshift parts of their body and transformed faster than a child. Children, born in their dragon forms, had to slowly learn how to transform into their human forms. Thus, their draconic heritage was much more easily recognisable than an adult’s. Whenever Lan Wangji disguised himself as a child, Lan Wangji had to suppress his cultivation lest he aroused anyone's suspicions.

He stares at his small hands in his younger form, the turquoise scales barely seen. His forehead ribbon, the only link to his adult identity, was tied firmly on his head and surrounded his horns. After checking that he had no other items that would identify his Hanguang-jun persona, he stepped out of the Cloud Recesses. None of the guards noticed anything amiss, as it was normal for children to leave and explore the forest surrounding the Cloud Recesses.

Lan Wangji had been tired lately, feeling restless. At first, he had thought that he had been abusing his transformation spell too much, but his cultivation was fine. The physician suggested he take a breather and spend time outside of the Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji took one look at the band of suitors after him and decided to go out in his child form. His brother, amused as always, approved the decision.

“I hope you make some friends out there, Wangji.” Lan Xichen said with a smile.

Just then, their mother had entered the room.

“A-Zhan, there you are!” Their mother immediately hugged Lan Wangji, who had already transformed into a child. “You’re so cute! Why do you always run away from me when you transform?”

“Mo-Mother…”

“Don’t trouble him so much, Mother. You know why he did so.”

“Ah, I miss it when you two were younger. A-Zhan, I heard you’re going to head out soon. Please tell me you are going to make some friends. Or perhaps… maybe bring home a cultivation partner?”

“Mother!” Lan Wangji blushed.

“Don’t you think you should settle down soon? It’s been what, thirty thousand years? And you too, A-Huan, I’m still waiting for my grandchild!” Lan Xichen also looked away, abashed. 

“But Uncle remains single. Furthermore, Mother could always have another child with Father.” The younger dragon pointed.

“Now where would be the fun in that?” Mother teased him again. “I just want to see you find your happiness now. Do you think I didn’t see how lost you were every time you kept running from your suitors? No matter what you fall in love with, I’ll still approve even if your silly uncle disapproves. Same goes for your father.”

“I have no promises on bringing back a cultivation partner, but I’ll… try to make friends.”

“That settles it! Just take as long as you need.” 

Lan Wangji had no intention of trying to find a cultivation partner even if he was already at an age to mate, but he would try to make friends. He at least owed his mother this much. Friendship is still difficult for him, let alone romance. He then headed to the Spring Gardens. Spring Gardens were filled with many hot springs where people played in the water or bathed.

Dragons loved water, and part of their heavenly duties involved bringing forth rain to the mortal realm. Thus, it was normal for some of his clan members to come here. Though the Cloud Recesses had springs too, the cold springs were utilized for cultivation purposes. Here, the dragons could play to their heart’s content without worrying about breaking the rules. He did not come here often as a child, so he figured he might want to see what his peers did during their childhood.

When he arrived, the hot ethereal mist dispersed throughout. The ground beneath him was warm, pulsing with strong spiritual energy. There were far too many people for Lan Wangji’s liking, so he avoided the main springs. Instead, he kept walking the edge between the forest and the garden, hoping to find some place more quieter. After walking for a while longer, he sees a huge waterfall in front of him. 

A nine-tailed fox was resting beside the hot spring. Dressed in black and red robes, the handsome young man was napping on his big, fluffy tails. Lan Wangji quietly tiptoed closer, curious as he rarely had the opportunity to encounter a nine-tailed fox. Their clans were typically secretive, but he knew there were several types of them in different colours. The one in front of him had black tails with white at the tips.

Overrun by the impulse to touch it, he grasps a few strands of the tail. It felt so soft and warm. Another strange thing about his child form is how his restraint seems to be lessened in it. He knows he shouldn’t but yet he cannot resist. He groped around, trying to not press on any muscle. He knew that the nine-tailed foxes had prehensile tails, using them like limbs. Rather, as though possessed by something, he laid down on the fur, falling into a deep sleep.

Wei Wuxian woke up from his nap, yawning as he stretched his arms upwards. The spiritual energy of the spring here helped immensely for his cultivation. His cultivation involved yin energy, so he needed to supplement it with yang energy once in a while to balance it out. But unlike fox demons, he definitely did not need to lower himself to harvesting yang energy from humans. As he moved to get up, he felt something heavy pressing on his tails. 

He then turned to see a little dragon child sleeping on his tails. Although dragonic children frequented the area, they never approached others. Furthermore, this area had a boundary that should have kept those with lower cultivation levels out. Did he miscalculate the coordinates? Whatever the case, he shifted without rousing the child from his sleep. He looks… very cute. Wei Wuxian had never encountered a dragon this up close before. 

The boy slept soundly, curling in on himself. Dressed in white with a forehead ribbon, Wei Wuxian then recognised the cloud symbol sewn on top of it. A Gusu Lan dragon, huh? He grinned. Maybe I can have some fun with this kid. After all, I heard they are raised with really strict rules! He remembered encountering Lan Qiren and pissing the old man off before. Looking back down on the kid, he felt bad for waking such a cute soul up, but if the boy doesn’t get off his tails, Wei Wuxian can’t move.

“What are you doing here, little kid? Did you mistake my tails to be some sort of pillow?”

Lan Wangji opened his eyes, and immediately shot up from where he rested. He then jumped back, panicking. When did I fall asleep?! All he wanted was just to touch the tails and then… His ears were burning and he looked at the floor, wishing it would swallow him up.

“Oh my, why are you so shy? Shouldn’t I be the one ashamed that someone had touched my precious tails without my consent?” Wei Wuxian teased, his tails finally swooshing up from where they had laid on the ground.

Lan Wangji stared at it, completely mesmerized by how the tails moved so swiftly. They look beautiful.

“I know my tails are soft, and it’s quite a compliment that you found it comforting enough to sleep without a care for your own safety.” Wei Wuxian continued moving his tails back and forth, casually showing his sharp fingernails as he got up from where he slept. 

“It was not my intention to do so. I just wanted to… touch it.” Lan Wangji said, completely embarrassed and withdrew his gaze.

It felt like he was being punished for breaking the rules all over again… like a child. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been scolded like this. Maybe thirty thousand years ago?

“Do you understand what you did wrong, then? You just neglected to ask for my permission. Now, what do you say when you do something wrong?”

“I am sorry.”

“Your parents raised you well. Judging from your forehead ribbon, you must be from the Gusu Lan clan. Tell me, what brings you here today? Surely you don’t approach others.” Wei Wuxian’s fox ears raised up, curious.

Lan Wangji wondered how or what he should tell the fox in front of him. 

“I came here to explore the hot springs. I just stumbled upon you and got curious when I saw you sleeping on the ground. It’s rare to meet a nine-tailed fox.” He explained.

It’s not a lie. He hadn’t planned on sleeping on someone else’s tails!

“I see. So you saw how beautiful I am and wanted to touch my tails, am I right?” Wei Wuxian grinned and approached the boy in front of him, who then stepped back. “My tails don’t have a sleeping spell cast on it, so you probably must have been really tired from playing the past few days, hmm? Imagine my surprise when I woke up from my nap to see a dragon boy sleeping on me.”

Lan Wangji’s ears reddened further, though the fox did not notice. Wei Wuxian took a closer look at the dragon boy’s face. His golden eyes were bright, coupled with a somewhat chubby face and small, yet sturdy horns indicated he would grow up to be a handsome man.

“Wow, you’re really adorable, and you’ll grow up to be such a dashing man! Are all the older members in your clan so good looking? I heard about this Hanguang-jun, the Second Young Master of the Gusu Lan clan is so handsome that all the ladies keep piling up in the Cloud Recesses to see him. It is true, right?” The fox rambled on so fast that Lan Wangji nodded, completely overwhelmed. “Oh right, I almost forgot. What’s your name, little dragon?”

“My name is… Lan Zhan. The Zhan meaning deep, clear water.” Lan Wangji answered, completely flustered.

People knew him mostly by his courtesy name, so there was no issue with giving him his birth name. They only received courtesy names upon adulthood.

“That’s a lovely name. Then again, I’m not surprised considering the dragons’ association with water. My name is Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian. I hail from the Sanren tribe of foxes. Because you’re so cute, you can call me by my birth name. Or maybe Wei Ying-gege~” Wei Wuxian teased.

The Sanren tribe? For some reason, Lan Wangji could not recall the name for now, but he knew they were more nomadic than other foxes.

“By the way, since you touched my tails without my permission, you will need to come with me.” Lan Wangji looked at him in alarm. “My tails are very precious, you know. A-Zhan, you need to take responsibility.”

“...How should I do that, Young Master Wei.” The dragon said bitterly.

“Oh, forget the formalities. Just call me Xian-gege or something. It makes me feel awkward for a young child like you to call me young master.”

“But it’s okay for you to call me A-Zhan?” Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes. He may be a child now but he is not a pushover.

“Okay fine, Lan Zhan it is. Just accompany me for a week or so? I could use some company to have some fun! I promise you will enjoy it! You’ll get more opportunities to touch my tails if you join me!”

Lan Wangji gripped his robes, ashamed that he was being bribed by just mere words. No. He will not. “I… don’t care about your tails.” He looked away.

“Really? If you didn’t care you wouldn’t have touched them.” Wei Wuxian’s tails suddenly appeared in front of the dragon, moving about. “The fact that you slept so soundly on them tells me that you haven’t been able to sleep well recently. I’m not unreasonable, I’m offering you more opportunities to touch them with my permission. So how about it? A few days with me and you get to have a good night’s rest? It’s a good deal, isn’t it?”

Well, I definitely would want to sleep like that again. He hadn’t been able to sleep soundly like that for a long time. What could possibly happen? He looked up at Wei Wuxian and nodded in agreement.

“Awesome, let’s go now!”

Lan Wangji wondered what he had gotten himself into when he saw the fox’s grin. Wei Wuxian then suddenly grabbed him and flung him over his shoulder. Before he could react, they had teleported.

His cultivation is very high, Lan Wangji realised. Teleportation spells were exclusive to those who cultivated to a level equal to his. The scenery transformed from the hot spring near the forest to a swamp-like, brightly lit place near the waters. He could smell the lotuses some distance away. Somewhat disoriented, he found himself suddenly placed standing on the floor and Wei Wuxian holding his hand tenderly.

He tried to pull away, but Wei Wuxian held it firmly. “Don’t be shy! I can’t have you getting lost. I bet this is your first time here.”

Lan Wangji looked away, completely abashed as Wei Wuxian walked with him. The nine tails the fox had been proud of had been reduced to one. Oh, so that’s why nine-tailed foxes are so hard to find. They just hide their tails. The remaining tail was big and puffy, trailing behind its owner. Their footsteps sounded softly on the wooden planks. He could sense the waters beneath them, tranquil and serene. The dragon quietly appreciated the scenery here. In the mortal realm, there were many lakeside towns just like this, like Yunmeng. In fact, it sort of reminded him of...

“Hey, Wei Wuxian, where have you been? And who’s this kid?” A loud voice boomed, snapping Lan Wangji out of his reverie.

He looked up to see a man dressed in purple robes folding his arms. He had white tiger ears and a tail. Ah, they are in Lotus Pier. It’s the Young Master of the Yunmeng Jiang clan. Lan Wangji remembered meeting the man before at certain Cultivation Conferences.

“Yo, Jiang Cheng! This kid is a cute dragon from the Gusu Lan clan! I picked him up on the streets and have officially adopted him as my son!” Wei Wuxian declared, showing off the dragon right next to him.

Jiang Cheng shot him a look of disbelief before he knelt down to the child’s eye level.

“Kid, tell me where your parents are, I’ll go get them when I visit the Cloud Recesses later this afternoon.” 

“Hey, Jiang Cheng! Is your opinion of me that bad?”

Lan Wangji opted to stay quiet and hid behind Wei Wuxian. It would not do well for someone to identify him. He held tightly onto the fur of the tail, almost burying his face in it.

“I can’t go back. He said I had to… repay him for touching his tails.”

“Huh?” Jiang Cheng then turned to Wei Wuxian. “I never took you to be bullying young kids like this. What’s the big deal if he touched your tails? You let me touch them before.”

Lan Wangji found himself tightening his grip for some reason. Probably because Wei Wuxian had lied to him. Nothing else. Lying is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.  

“That’s with my permission, Chengcheng! The kid needs to go out and learn some fun. All his other friends just splash around in the spring. That’s no fun. So I decided I’ll take him to enjoy what Lotus Pier offers!”

“Stop calling me Chengcheng! And my home is not some kind of tourist attraction!” Jiang Cheng shouted. “Anyway, kid, he tricked you. If you need my help, I’ll offer it.”

“But he said I could touch his tails more if I went with him.” Jiang Cheng gaped, and stared at Wei Wuxian.

“You stooped so low to use your tails to bribe him?”

“It’s a win-win for both of us, Chengcheng!”

“Ew, don’t call me that! If anyone asks, I don’t know you. I got to go now. Don’t get into too much trouble.” Jiang Cheng walked off.

Right. He’s still a child, so he should pretend to be one. What do kids do again? His childhood is a memory so distant from him he can’t recall.

“Is he your best friend?”

“Yeah, my mother’s a good friend of his father’s. Despite his harsh exterior, he’s a good guy. That said, nothing can save him from being blacklisted from every matchmaker in the Nine Realms.” Wei Wuxian cackled. “So, want to eat some lotus pods?”

Lan Wangji nodded, thinking they were going to buy some. Oh how wrong he was. They soon got themselves onto a small boat, with the small dragon gingerly trying to not place too much weight on it, afraid of it toppling. Wei Wuxian, being the kind fox he was, rowed the boat instead. Lan Wangji’s eyes bulged at the sight of the fox using his tails to row the boat, amazed at their versatility. There’s three tails now. Though the pier was relatively quiet, Wei Wuxian filled up the silence with his chatter.

“Do you stay here?”

“At the moment, yeah! I wasn’t born here though.”

It was then, the dragon realised something was wrong.

“Where are we going? I thought we were going to get lotus pods.” Lan Wangji grew confused, looking around him to see no one selling anything. “Are we going to your residence?” The boat moved closer to what seemed like a hut on stilts.

The boat rowed into someone’s home. 

“Ah, actually… you’re a smart boy, you can figure it out yourself.” Wei Wuxian grinned.

Lan Wangji scanned his surroundings. It seemed like many lotuses grew here, but there was also a fence surrounding the hut. Having just met the fox, the dragon hazarded a guess that Wei Wuxian would never have the patience to grow lotuses by himself.

“Stealing is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.” Lan Wangji immediately scolded.

“Shh, not so loud.” The fox shushed him. “Besides, we aren’t in the Cloud Recesses. You need to lighten up some more! If we get caught, you’re also an accomplice in this!” He then snatched some lotuses with one of his tails, and the owner immediately came out screaming at him.

“You cunning fox! How dare you come back again!” The old man shouted and threw talismans at the boat.

The talismans burst, revealing spirit guardians, ready to attack. Lan Wangji was caught off guard and didn’t have time to react. The boat flipped over all of a sudden, flinging him into the air. Before he fell into the water, Wei Wuxian’s tails coiled around his waist and caught him. The fox then caught the lotus pods and hopped away on the water lily pads, laughing all the way. It was as though he was weightless, like a flighty fairy flying around. He deftly evaded the spirits attacking him, even having more of his tails wrapped around Lan Wangji to protect him. Things moved so fast that Lan Wangji couldn’t do anything. He blinked and watched the old man behind them stop chasing them.

“Don’t you come back again!” The older man screamed at them.

Wei Wuxian continued laughing all the way to the pier. When they had reached land, the fox’s tails softly placed Lan Wangji on his feet, who still was in shock from what had happened. So soft and warm.

“Hey, don’t tell me you fell asleep in my tails again.” These teasing words snapped Lan Wangji out of his reverie.

“Of course not! You said we were going to get some lotus pods, not steal them!” The young dragon turned to shout at the fox with clenched fists.

“I said ‘get’, I never said ‘buy’, you silly boy. Here, eat some. Did you know that lotus seed pods with their stems attached taste better than those without?” Wei Wuxian plucked some seeds and threw them into his mouth. 

The dragon shot him a look of disbelief, and the fox handed some over to him. By now, the fox had hidden his eight other tails. Lan Wangji ignores the part of him that mourned for the tails. No. Wangji, do not be obsessed with what is not yours.  

“Come on, try it! Unless you want me to feed you?”

“Shameless!” There was nothing much he could do since Wei Wuxian had taken the seeds out. 

Lan Wangji decided he would pay the owner a visit after this was over and pay them adequate compensation. That said, the seeds were delicious though. This was definitely much fun that he anticipated.

“Ah, you’re smiling! See, told you it wouldn’t hurt to break the rules once in a while!” Wei Wuxian cheered.

Lan Wangji looked away, his ears reddening. “I’m going home.”

“Ah, look, the day’s rather late already. It’s going to be evening soon. I’m quite famished from all that.” The fox clasped his hands together in thought, narrowly missing the look of disbelief the dragon child had shot at him.

You didn’t look tired at all. Lan Wangji thought but did not voice it. It is rude to interrupt someone when they are talking.  

“Let’s go eat something! Why don’t we just have a good dinner at the nearby inn? Yunmeng has amazing food!” 

Before Lan Wangji could protest, the fox grabbed his hand and pulled him along. They ran across town, their steps making rumbling noises along the docks. He looked up in wonder, at the side profile of Wei Wuxian. Come to think of it, he hadn’t really taken a good look at the nine-tailed fox’s appearance. His eyes shone a bright silver, almost as if it could reflect the sunlight that peaked through the rainy clouds. His grey and black robes contrasted with the bright red bands that tied his clothes together, hiding the strong muscles underneath. Surprisingly, despite the fox’s lazy nature, his clothes were neatly folded.

Why does he only have three layers though? It’s nearing autumn. Then again, when you have nine tails… Lan Wangji blushed upon remembering how Wei Wuxian had held him tightly within the furry nine tails. He felt… so safe and content. He immediately shook his head. If Wei Wuxian paid attention, he would have noticed that even Lan Wangji’s antlers had turned red. The Gusu Lan dragon decided to close that train of thought and returned to observing the fox beside him. 

What jutted out of Wei Wuxian’s head was not horns, but fox ears. Lan Wangji wonders how soft it feels compared to his antlers. As a child, growing them out had been rather difficult. Naturally, he would hide it in his human form, but it was inevitably a part of him. He found it amusing that the ears would perk up, and flop at Wei Wuxian’s command, as though echoing its master’s emotions. Are they as soft as the tails? No, Wangji, stop. Think about something else… Moving on, he noticed something red flowing behind the nine-tailed fox as he ran. A red ribbon.

Wei Wuxian did not seem to wear formal attire, not that Lan Wangji realised. Most young immortals who reached adulthood had to wear a guan to indicate their status; even Jiang Wanyin wore it. The fox had nothing but a ribbon. The long, red ribbon dangled down Wei Wuxian’s long hair which spilled over his shoulders. His hair was long and silky, reaching down to where his tail would be. Lan Wangji still thinks the red ribbon in Wei Wuxian’s hair was the most beautiful of them all.

They suddenly came to an abrupt stop, and Lan Wangji nearly crashed into the fox in front of him.

“We are here!” Wei Wuxian declared, and the dragon looked up to see a bustling inn.

The signboard had golden characters painted on a bright red background. ‘Garden of Happiness’, it read. It had two storeys, and was built simply, but also elegantly. If it had any sign of riches, it did not flaunt them. Almost everywhere was draped in red. 

“Will you be running away after they served you the food?” Lan Wangji asked, wary that Wei Wuxian was going to do a dine and run.

“Of course not! I am their most loyal customer! I am so offended you see me this way, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian pressed a hand to his chest, feigning a chest injury. “Don’t worry, I have money. Consider this my treat!”

“Thank you, esteemed guest, for choosing our inn! What room would you have?” The waiter greeted them.

“Give me your best room!”

“Master Wei, you truly are our most loyal customer, so of course we’ll give you our best suite, the Room of Spring!”

What. Lan Wangji froze, completely stunned.

“Lan Zhan, don’t worry, I’ll be paying for everything. Besides, by the time we’re done with dinner, the sun would have fallen!”

No, no, the point is, did the staff just give an adult fox and a child dragon a suite, with one bed?

“I can sleep on my own!” Lan Wangji shouted. 

“Aww, what a cute child! You want to grow up already.”

Why did he pick the appearance of a 10 to 13-year-old!? Lan Wangji wished he could just transform and get out of here, but he did not want to create a fuss.

“I didn’t birth him but I sure raised him well!” Wei Wuxian declared, and the dragon stared at him in horror from the amount of shamelessness.

Before he could protest, the fox already started pushing him up the stairs with his tail. Lan Wangji sighed. I will leave after this. It has been nothing but nonsense!

“You’re so cute when you pout!”

Lan Wangji immediately looked away, refusing to look at the fox. Soon after, all the dishes arrived, most of them coated in red and orange. 

“Come, have a taste of Yunmeng! Dig in!” They began eating, though funny enough, Wei Wuxian began drinking. 

“Alcohol is forbidden in—”

“Yes, in the Cloud Recesses! But I’m not making you drink… unless you want to?”

“No!” Wei Wuxian laughed. 

Lan Wangji wondered why the fox thought it was a good idea to feed a child extremely spicy food, especially to a dragon who is of the water element. His tongue burned, and he bit down his lip in an attempt to not show his suffering to this sly fox, who is probably laughing at his misery. Wei Wuxian then ordered for the waiter to bring in tea, and the dragon immediately grabbed it, grateful for the oasis in the desert of fiery flames. It alleviated the spice a bit, to his immense relief. 

“Is it good?”

“Yes.” He had to admit, the food did taste good as long as they didn’t kill him from the spiciness. 

Seeing the dragon in front of him looking so miserable, Wei Wuxian decided to change the topic. 

“Okay, okay, don’t be mad anymore. If you want, I’ll answer some of your questions about me. Honestly, and truthfully! Like what kind of fox I am, or where I’m from!”

If there is one thing that never changed for Lan Wangji, it was the pursuit for knowledge. He had read all the books available in the Cloud Pavilion. Except… the forbidden section. Lan Wangji then bit the bullet and asked.

“Could you tell me more about the Sanren tribe?”

“We’re a group of nomadic foxes spread out throughout the Nine Realms. Our home is in Mount Yinhu, and Baoshan Sanren rules the place. In the tribe, Sanren is a title given to the female head of the family. So while we do practice the passing down of surnames from father to child, the power is actually from mother to daughter. My younger sister is going to inherit the title from my mother.”

Yin foxes… so I will need to check out the forbidden section after all.

“Why aren’t you heading home then?”

“My mother told me to not come home until I find my cultivation partner, and it’s normal for us foxes to travel all over the Nine Realms. We only return every few hundred years or so just to tell the tribe we are still alive somehow.”

“How old are you?”

“Eh? Wow, you really want to know how old I am? I’m thirty-three thousand years old! Come to think of it, I’m as old as that infamous Hanguang-jun. I wonder what he is doing right now… maybe planning a harem from all the beautiful ladies chasing him?”

“Do not talk behind other people’s backs.” Lan Wangji spoke curtly.

“Ah, I am sorry! How about I tell you about my adventures so far?” Wei Wuxian soon began rambling about his tales of adventure, and Lan Wangji listened.

He also made a note to go check the Cloud Pavilion after this adventure. He really wanted to know more about foxes, and wonder if there’s some special spell in the tails to make them so… appealing.

When they finished dinner, the dishes were all cleared, and there remained one last thing to do. Sleep. The bed stood there ominously in front of Lan Wangji as Wei Wuxian sat on the bed, and patted on the mattress next to him. He looked gentle, like calling a younger sibling to cuddle together with rather than some seductive fox trying to lure in her lover.

“Come, it’s time for bed. Isn’t it haishi now?”

“I… can ask for a cot?”

“No need to trouble the staff when this bed is big enough for three people! Also, no sleeping on the floor! We will be sleeping on this bed together!”

Lan Wangji tightened his grip on his sleeves, wondering why the bedsheets were red. How shameless of them to make it look like a wedding bed!  

“But I promise I’m not going to do anything to you, and that I’m giving you my end of the bargain. You get to sleep on my tails now.”

“Don’t you need to sleep too?” The dragon asked, surprised.

“Well, you look like you could use the rest more than me. Besides, I’m going to just do my work here.”

Wei Wuxian then took out a Qiankun Pouch and took out some papers.

“Work?” Lan Wangji tilted his head to the side, earning himself a chuckle from the fox. 

“Ah, right, I do research on talismans and other forms of yin cultivation. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go raise some corpses. My mother and grandmother would have my head if I did.” Wei Wuxian then adjusted so that his tails covered most of the bed. “Well? Or if not, I’ll just…”

“I’ll sleep.” Lan Wangji sheepishly walked over and climbed onto the bed. 

He moved as far away from the fox, and even made sure that his tail did not curl towards Wei Wuxian.

“Aww, you don’t have to be that considerate, Lan Zhan! But this is the first time I’m making an exception for someone to sleep on my tails for a good few hours.” 

The dragon’s ears reddened as he repeated the words ‘ first time’ and ‘ exception’ … Lan Wangji carefully shifted so that he did not inconvenience the fox any more than he should. He then laid down on the tails. They were so soft that they made better pillows than the ones they had at the most luxurious of inns or palaces. In a blink of an eye, he drifted off to sleep. Today had been a really long day after all. 

“Good night Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian smiled, patting his head.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji blinked, and got up from the ground. Weird. He swore he had been sleeping on fox tails. He quietly mourned the loss of the fluffy tails while he looked around to see that he was outside, on the dirt paths. and that it was daylight now. He slowly got up and walked over to Wei Wuxian, who waved in front of him, calling for him. 

“Wei Ying? What’s going on?” Weren’t they sleeping in the inn?

“Lan Zhan, come on, let’s go flying!”

“How are we going to fly? On my back?”

“No, silly, I’ll carry you, and I’ll show you how!” Lan Wangji found himself wrapped up in Wei Wuxian’s embrace. “Okay, let’s go!”

They began to float off the ground, reaching into the skies. Lan Wangji poked around, trying to figure out how Wei Wuxian could fly. Dragons, by their very nature, did not need wings and are naturally gifted at flying. Foxes shouldn’t be able to fly. Then… he saw the tails behind Wei Wuxian fluttering at high speeds. I never knew you could use tails like that...

“Those are very strong tails.” Lan Wangji commented.

“You bet! I am after all the strongest flying fox there ever is!” Wei Wuxian proudly declared as they flew in the sky.

Below them were the clouds, and some indistinct land that Lan Wangji cannot remember ever seeing in his life, even across the Nine Realms. There were even rainbows surrounding them too? This had to be a dream… They kept flying, though at a slow pace. It’s… different from how he flew across the skies. Lan Wangji wondered if Wei Ying would want him to carry him on his back as the dragon flew.

When Lan Wangji woke up, he was completely confused by what he dreamt. He opened his bleary eyes to see Wei Wuxian still engrossed in his work, but the moment he shifted, the fox turned to look at him.

“Good morning, Lan Zhan! You really slept soundly this time. Do you always wake up at maoshi all the time?”

Instead of answering him, the dragon asked in a daze. “Wei Ying… Can you fly with your tails?” 

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian immediately pressed his hand on Lan Wangji’s forehead. “Well, you’re not having a fever. Thank goodness, I don’t want to visit Wen Qing at this hour, otherwise I would be turned into mincemeat. But also, what the heck, Lan Zhan? What did you dream when you slept on my tails just now? I’m a fox, remember? I can’t fly like you dragons do!”

Lan Wangji began to feel silly for asking that question, wishing the ground would just swallow him up now.

“Go back to sleep if you’re that tired!”

“No, it is time to wake up.” Another tail curled around him and pushed him back into the fur below.

“No, keep sleeping until I say so. It’s too early!” 

“Won’t sleep unless you sleep too.” He blurted unknowingly. Why did he say that?  

“Okay fine, I’ll stop work and take a nap then. You’re so cute!” Wei Wuxian put away the papers and laid down on the bed. He pulled the dragon into a hug. “Ah, this is truly heaven.”

Lan Wangji felt secure in a safe, warm embrace of the beautiful nine-tailed fox. He might have to agree that this was truly heaven. He hasn’t slept like this in a long time.

Then after a shi, he immediately jolted up from where he rested and jumped out of the bed before the fox could stop him. Lan Wangji remembered that although his brother did give him several days to rest, he was supposed to return home! He did not want to risk making his brother worry any further!

“Hey, where are you going? Did you forget your homework or something?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“My brother would be very worried about me if I don’t go home.”

“Oh… okay. Do you need me to bring you back?”

“It’s fine! Uhh, can we meet again?” Lan Wangji stared at Wei Wuxian’s tails.

“Ah, you really can’t resist my tails?” The dragon’s ears blushed red as the fox laughed. “Well, go home and tell your family that you want to be this fox’s disciple so you can spend more time with me. Otherwise, they would call me a kidnapper. I wouldn’t want that and you wouldn’t want to be parted from my tails for too long, right?”

Wei Wuxian’s tails moved up and down as he spoke. The dragon child could only nod his head in shame.

“Well, I’ll be staying in Lotus Pier for a long while, so don’t worry. Just come back whenever you want to. I’ll mostly be either here or at the hot springs anyway.”

“Thank you so much!” Lan Wangji bowed and ran out the door.

Not soon after, Wei Wuxian looked out the window, trying to find signs of a dragon flying into the sky. Although he didn’t manage to see anything, he smiled. I wonder what he looks like when he flies as a dragon…

Lan Wangji returned home to reassure his brother that he had not been kidnapped and to request punishment for breaking the rules. Namely, the rules for indulgence, because he had indulged far too much yesterday! Lan Xichen chuckled, saying that he hadn’t noticed and felt there was no need for punishment. However, the knowing looks his mother had upon seeing him made Lan Wangji regret rushing home, so the dragon ended up copying the rules again to calm down. Afterwards, he then read up on whatever he could dig up on foxes, such as their culture and the inner workings of their tails. Purely. Research.

Lan Qiren found it confusing that he suddenly gained an interest in foxes, and thankfully did not probe Lan Wangji about it. It seems I should check the forbidden archives another time. His uncle is very protective of him, and apparently had a bad encounter with a nine-tailed fox. Thus, the dragon vehemently disliked foxes ever since. Confused, Lan Wangji went to ask his father why.

“Oh, why does Qiren hate foxes? That’s because a nine-tailed fox by the name of Cangse Sanren cut his beard off. I think she was angry at him for nearly causing Clan Leader Jiang and another man to die in a night hunt.” Qingheng-jun pondered.

Cangse Sanren? That name sounds very familiar… she must be from the same tribe as Wei Ying. Lan Wangji then tried to imagine his uncle without one. 

“Don’t you think he looks better without it, A-Zhan?” Qingheng-jun asked again, and the dragon found himself agreeing with his father. 

His uncle was so capable and handsome. Intelligent, though strict, he made for a good teacher. How can no one possibly like him? 

“Was Uncle also pursued heavily in his youth?”

“Oh yes, because of what Cangse Sanren did, he was chased endlessly for days. That’s why you never see your uncle without a beard. Although, Qiren really needs to settle down.”

No wonder Uncle told me to grow a beard. So that’s how he evaded marriage. Lan Wangji wondered if he should.

“Should I grow a beard too, Father?” It could solve his problems.

“Please don’t, I don’t want to see another Qiren in the house.” Madam Lan’s voice echoed from the entrance, and both father and son turned to see her sauntering in. “I will say, Cangse Sanren had guts! Now, maybe if she could come back and cut his beard again, that would be great.”

“My lady, please don’t.” Qingheng-jun sipped his cup of tea again. “Qiren will be angry again if you keep reminding him of that incident.”

“Of course, I’m not that cruel. I’ll leave that harassment to his future spouse, if he will even get one. By the way, A-Zhan, I see you made a new friend. When will you bring them home so Mother can take a look?”

“Uhh, this son will take my leave now.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be so embarrassed, A-Zhan! Leaving so soon already? Then don’t come back until you bring a cultivation partner home!” Madam Lan teased as he fled his parents’ courtyard in a flurry, ears flushing red.

This time, he requested permission to leave for a few days. He missed the tails so much that he really wanted to get back to spending time with Wei Ying. Nothing more. 

“Lotus Pier is indeed under the Yunmeng Jiang clan’s jurisdiction, but they have strong wards. There should be no issue. Please have fun, Wangji. I also can’t wait to meet this friend of yours.” Lan Xichen smiled.

Lan Wangji then transformed into a child and walked out the Cloud Recesses, heading towards the Spring Gardens. He feared that he would not be able to get the opportunity to transform when he got there, due to the increased frenzy of his suitors. He did not want to get chased out of his own home and get stalked, thank you very much. Since he did not find Wei Ying there, he then left for Yunmeng and ignored the curious looks he received from the people gathered at the springs.

Indeed, many people did seem concerned that a young child was walking alone in Lotus Pier, but the horns on his head made it clear that he could defend himself and best left alone. The first thing Lan Wangji did upon arrival was to pay for the lotus pods that Wei Wuxian stole that day. 

“I am sorry for the lotus pods my companion stole the other day.” Lan Wangji offered some taels to the older man.

“You must have been tricked by him, so I’ll forgive you. Be a good boy and don’t be like that fox.” The older man accepted the taels. “Or maybe, someone should settle down with the fox so he doesn’t come bother me anymore!”

That day won’t be coming anytime soon. Wei Ying has not expressed interest in anyone, apparently. Then again, why would the fox confide in a child dragon about his romantic woes? Lan Wangji then set off back to town, hoping to find the fox. 

“Oh, you mean Wei Wuxian, the young master who was here the other day? He went off to the Demon Realm. Said something about someone hurting his biaomei and that he had to go rescue her.”

“Do you know where in particular?” the dragon asked.

“Sorry, I’m not sure. If you like, we can pass a message to him or you can wait here.” The waiter said.

“I will go find him.”

“Be careful out there!”

Lan Wangji carefully found his way to the Demon Realm. The place was in eternal darkness, with only a shattered moon lighting up the paths. Demons and others inclined to the dark side gathered here. While Wei Wuxian would fit in nicely with his high yin cultivation, Lan Wangji would stick out like a sore thumb with his strong yang cultivation. Everyone knew about the Gusu Lan dragons for their silver and blue scales. 

This was not his first time venturing into the realm, and being in his child form changed nothing about it. All he needed to do was to disguise his yang energy. If Lan Xichen knew his brother was exploring the Demon Realm in the form of a child, he would have been rightfully horrified. For the youth of the clan, their forehead ribbons had protective and tracking talismans applied on them. Should they trespass into unfriendly territory, the closest Gusu Lan dragon would feel their ribbon pulse, and they would go rescue them. A certain Cloudweaver elder named Lan Lianyi had invented it since some children would forget to bring signal flares with them.

Lan Wangji had this protection removed ages ago, but he still had to practice caution in an area he had little knowledge of. He decided he would try to follow the path where people said they saw a powerful nine-tailed fox. Although the yin foxes in the area would prominently show their tails and their nine-tails were numerous, demons would be surprised to notice another one, which meant either they recently achieved the pinnacle of their cultivation, or a stray nine-tailed fox has appeared from outside the realm. 

It did not take long for him to find where Wei Wuxian was. Somewhere near Burial Mounds, a previous battleground for all the Nine Realms, laid a Demon-Slaughter Cave. Many resentful spirits resided there, and Lan Wangji carefully navigated around them. The Higher Realms gave up trying to purify the area so long as the demons did not encroach the Heavenly Realm. His cultivation was strong enough to fend the energy off, but even he would be in trouble if he got infected by it. Thus, as long as his scales did not get injured, he would be fine.

He found the cave and saw a green light emanating from it. Why is it green? The cave shouldn’t be... He then entered to take a look. Inside the cave were a few demons and the certain fox he had been looking for. Lan Wangji hid behind one of the rocks, and shuddered at the sight that unfolded before him. There were several demons all crouched on the floor, pleading for mercy. Then the dragon saw Wei Wuxian with an angered expression, one that he had never seen before.

“Speak, before I behead you.” Wei Wuxian’s eyes glowed red.

Though the fox dressed in the same clothing he had seen him in, one difference was how he no longer stood on the floor. Instead, the fox leaned back, resting on his huge nine tails as he floated in the air. Wei Wuxian gave off a majestic demeanour with his throne of nine tails. One of his legs crossed the other, making for a seductive scene to those not afraid of the fox. Lan Wangji gulped at the sight of the nine-tailed fox dominating his enemies. He wished he had a brush and paper with him to paint it now, alas.

“Spare us!”

“How boring. Where did your bravado from when you were busy tormenting my clan’s kit go? Hmm?” Wei Wuxian placed a hand to support his chin, and another tail supported his elbow.

“We are sorry! We just thought she was just some normal fox!”

The flames around them burned not a fiery red, but a surreal green. Everyone else continued to tremble in fear.

“It’s time I put you all in your place, for daring to cross the Sanren tribe.”

Many screams echoed from the cave, and Lan Wangji decided to leave the cave. He didn’t want Wei Ying to think he was involved with any of this. After all, they only met once and it is suspicious that he followed them here. Furthermore, how can Wei Wuxian be so sure of his character? After beating up everyone in the cave, Wei Wuxian walked out with a young girl, who had a fox tail too. Her eyes however were greyer, almost as though she was blind. 

“A-Qing, didn’t we already tell you that the Demon Realm is off-limits until you are fifteen thousand years old? You’re lucky I happened to be around. The other yin fox tribes don’t like us for a reason.”

“I’m sorry, biaoge.” The younger girl said, her head lowered.

“Is the region surrounding Yinhu and the Peach Blossom Forest not big enough for you? There’s even the Spring Garden to dip in! Or you could have come to Lotus Pier to find me! Really, why the Demon Realm?”

“I just wanted to see how different we are from the other yin foxes…”

“The Demon Realm is not some fun and games. Young Uncle is going to be furious. Come, I’ll be taking you straight home.”

Wei Ying has an uncle and a younger cousin? Lan Wangji blinked at this new information. Their tails do match in colour. He pondered.

“Biaoge, you were so awesome just now! Will I learn how to do that?” The girl recovered from her depressed state very quickly.

“Sure you will!”

Wei Wuxian suddenly paused, and turned in Lan Wangji’s direction.

“Who’s there?” He spoke coldly.

Lan Wangji stepped out of his hiding place calmly, knowing he had been caught. A-Qing immediately jumped behind Wei Wuxian, her tail standing straight. The nine-tailed fox however, widened his eyes in surprise before softening his glance.

“Oh, Lan Zhan! What are you doing here? ”Just like that, all of Wei Wuxian’s menacing air dissipated the moment he saw the young dragon.

“I…” Come on, Lan Wangji, think of a good excuse of why you are in the Demon Realm in the form of a child! “I got thrown into a portal by accident and ended up here.”

A-Qing shot him a look of disbelief. She may be playful but she did study! Portals are only made by those with high enough cultivation. How does one accidentally fall into one?

“Well, don’t worry, because your Xian-gege is here to protect you!” Wei Wuxian opened his arms wide, as though welcoming Lan Wangji into a hug. “You must have been so scared!”

“Yes. I was very scared.” Lan Wangji spoke with an impassive face and dry tone.

A-Qing blinked, wondering if she was hallucinating. You don’t even look scared to me!  

“Biaoge, who is he?” She pulled his sleeve and pointed at him.

“Oh? This is Lan Zhan, from the Gusu Lan clan. Remember your studies? He’s a yang dragon. Also, don’t point. That’s rude. I swear uncle really will punish you later.”

All the more reason why he shouldn’t even end up here by accident! A-Qing could only drop her jaw in response as she looked at the dragon in front of her. 

“Why doesn’t he get scolded for being here way before he should be?”

“Now now, A-Qing, that’s his internal clan matters. I could scold him, but I’m not his elder. Did you know that they copy the rules 3000 times there as punishment?!” A-Qing blanched, thankful she was not born in Gusu. “What matters now is that your fathers wants you home now.” Wei Wuxian deftly dodged the topic, and A-Qing pouted in response.

Wei Wuxian took Lan Wangji and A-Qing to a random hill in Yunmeng before teleporting A-Qing home. He promised Lan Wangji a trip to Yinhu next time since he said that his uncle being angry wouldn’t be fun. Understandable, he must have wanted family matters to stay within the family. His uncle must be at least a Higher Immortal. For their level of cultivation, it is difficult for them to conceive. Thus, most of the powerful clans are small. Of course, Jin Guangshan should really keep it in his pants. At the thought of the Jin clan leader, Lan Wangji resisted the urge to puke.

Mainly, Jin Guangshan had way too many progeny. However, the consequence was that most of his children had poorer cultivation potential. Eventually, someone had the mind to put an end to it. It is unknown what happened, but at least no more children were being born. Lan Wangji then decided to think of other things, redirecting his thoughts back to Wei Wuxian. I wonder how his uncle behaves. Would he be like Uncle or a different kind of uncle? Lan Wangji pondered, since his mother was an only child.

Deciding to go buy some lotus seeds in case Wei Wuxian would be hungry, he then swiftly flew to make his purchase and went back to where they arranged to meet. Lan Wangji waited at the hill for a few hours, curious and wondering what Wei Wuxian’s uncle was like. He hoped the girl A-Qing was okay. Nonetheless, if a junior from his clan had committed the same mistake as she did, he would also punish her. So Wei Ying does punish if necessary. I thought him to be a lenient person. He would have to re-evaluate the fox now.

“Sorry, did you wait long?” Wei Wuxian greeted. “Oh my, you did go buy lotus seeds!”

Lan Wangji handed the lotus stems to him. The fox instead sat down right next to him.

“Feed me, Lan Zhan. This fox is so tired from teleporting back and forth today.” That was a lie, but Lan Wangji indulged him anyway.

He was supposed to be an innocent dragon child who didn’t know much after all. He carefully feeds the fox, trying to not get his fingers bitten.

“Relax, Lan Zhan. I’m not that much of a biter. If you’re that scared, you could have me lie down and let gravity do it for you.”

“No, you would choke on them.” Wei Wuxian pouted.

They then ate the lotus seeds in peace. It felt… wholesome, overall. Lan Wangji had never really… fed anyone like this before. The last time he had been fed like this was when he lived with his mother. When he got older he refused to get fed like a child anymore, so that stopped. His mother sulked for days.

They soon began their trek back to Yunmeng, However, along the way… a dog showed up. 

“Ah! It’s a dog monster! Lan Zhan! Help me!” Wei Wuxian screamed and sprinted towards Lan Wangji away from the dog.

Unfortunately, he jumped a little too high, and crashed into the dragon. They then began to roll down the muddy hill. It took a while before Lan Wangji coiled his tail around a tree to stop their fall, Wei Wuxian hugging him tightly in his embrace. Lan Wangji could feel the man’s chest rise up and down, and his warm breaths.

“Woah, wasn’t expecting that hill to be there. Sorry.” The fox seemed abashed this time round.

They got up and patted the grass off their clothes, though they had been stained from the mud. Wei Wuxian had taken the brunt of it, realising midway that he dragged the dragon into it and focused on protecting him. Of course, being immortals meant that they weren’t injured at all, just mostly dirty. Lan Wangji’s white robes are now muddied, making him look like a beggar child more than anything. However, the dragon couldn’t be bothered about the state of his dressing now.

“Are you... scared of dogs?” Lan Wangji asked in concern.

“Yeah… shameful, I know.” Wei Wuxian scratched his head sheepishly.

“It’s okay to be scared of something.” He said in a comforting tone.

“Haha, thank you for trying to comfort me. Is there anything you are scared of, Lan Zhan? You can tell me one!”

“Not really.” He had nothing much to fear as a powerful dragon, but as a child… “I just didn’t want to make trouble for other people.”

“If you are ever scared of anything, I’ll protect you!” Wei Wuxian declared, grinning. 

They slowly walked their way back to the inn.

“I like rabbits.” Lan Wangji suddenly said, breaking the silence.

It wasn’t fair that he knew one thing Wei Wuxian was scared of.

“Ooh! Guess I’ll need to stop eating rabbits anymore.” The dragon froze in his footsteps, and shot the fox the most incredulous look he could muster as a child. “Aww, I’m sorry! But you know that foxes are a natural predator of rabbits. Plus, my kind don’t even hunt the moon rabbits or the special rabbits. We go after normal rabbits like normal foxes do. Please don’t glare at me anymore, I promise I’ll swear off rabbits!”

Later, the townspeople of Yunmeng would be surprised to see a fox literally begging a dragon child for forgiveness. Some would think the fox must have bullied the young child and it served him right! While others were just bewildered at the sight of the dirtied pair entering the inn, wondering what they had been doing prior. 

“Wei Ying, please stop attracting so much attention.” Lan Wangji said, abashed.

“Not until you forgive me!”

“I forgive you.” Lan Wangji sighed.

After all, it’s not like Wei Wuxian could go above the natural order of things. One must practice lenience and understanding to be open to the world, Lan Yi once said. It also felt touching that the nine-tailed fox who effortlessly destroyed demons would be willing to give up rabbits so quickly. 

“Yay! How are you so sure that I won’t go back on my word?”

“That is Wei Ying’s business. Wei Ying is my senior, I cannot tell him what to do.” Lan Wangji pointed.

While it might be true that he’s technically older than Wei Ying, the dragon felt that even so, he had no right to step into the fox’s business when he is just a… stranger. He doesn’t know why he is not happy about that.

“I think we’re more than strangers now, aren’t we? It’s funny, we just met but I feel like we are more than good friends now! And you know what good friends do?”

“What?” He regretted asking that when he realised Wei Wuxian pulled him into the bathroom together.

The inn had a bath suite prepared for them. Talismans were used to keep the water warm, and the baskets had cleaning talismans applied as well.

“What else? Good brothers have baths together. Come, let’s get into the bath together. Our clothes are really dirty.” Wei Wuxian reached out to grab Lan Wangji’s hand, who flinched and stood frozen to the ground. “Aww, don’t be shy! We’re the same gender, so what’s the deal? Besides, we met at the hot spring, so obviously you would have to disrobe when you went there, right? You’re such a fuddy duddy. Do you not bathe with your family?”

Not ever since we grew out of puberty! Wei Ying, I am an adult, not a child! Lan Wangji tried to get out of his grip incessantly, however in his weakened child form, he could not break free.

“You’re dirty, and you can’t reach your back too. Come on, I promise I won’t peek! All boys are naturally big down there anyway.”

That’s not what I’m worried about! But indeed, the mud on his clothes was bothering him that he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Just... the back.” He gave in and pretended he never heard the last sentence.

Lan Wangji waited for Wei Wuxian to go first, shy. The fox laughed as he calmly stripped and threw his clothes into the basket. His tails also unveiled themselves to give the dragon some form of decency and Wei Wuxian hummed happily. 

“Okay, I’m not that crass. I’ll go ahead first!” Wei Wuxian skipped off.

Lan Wangji carefully folded his clothes into the boxes, trying to delay his entry to the bath. He should have asked if he could go first, but it was rude to make the fox wait when they are both dirty. He hugged his long, heavy tail and walked to where Wei Wuxian was bathing. The fox specifically had another tub just for his tails, and the tails were dipping in the warm water nicely. Wei Wuxian also washed his hair, getting rid of the leaves and mud that got caught in it.

“I made sure there’s enough steam, would this be okay for you? I actually don’t know how dragons would bathe and how hot the water has to be.” Wei Wuxian said, beckoning the dragon to join him. 

“It is fine.”

Lan Wangji sat down in the same huge tub with the fox, ears and face reddening. It’s a good thing the heat can hide his real reason for blushing. At least the bath was relaxing, even though it’s hotter than his usual baths. Wei Wuxian heaved his tails to the side and dried them the best he could, before hopping over to sit behind Lan Wangji’s back.

“Come, let me scrub your back for you. I could use my tails to do it for me, but it’s going to be harder for you.” Wei Wuxian said, completely nonchalant about the whole situation.

And here he was, a proud adult dragon, having a gay crisis in a bath tub with some stranger he met a few days ago. 

Wei Wuxian happily scrubbed Lan Wangji’s back, and observed the scales on the boy’s body. Oh, so they still have scales in their human form. Interesting… Normally, people could completely suppress their animal characteristics, but that usually took more effort and thus only done when trying to infiltrate the mortal realm. On the ground between them rested a small dragon tail. Wei Wuxian resisted the urge to touch it. So he’s embarrassed over his small tail, that’s all! He grinned.

“Lan Zhan, can I touch your tail?”

“W-Why? I can clean it myself!” Lan Wangji protested, his ears reddening as he immediately withdrew his tail.

“Aww, okay. When you grow up, you can’t be this shy for your cultivation partner, you know?” The fox grinned. “There are just some adult things that have to be done!”

Not this again! Lan Wangji could feel his head burning off.

“Have you done those... adult things before?” The boy asked shyly.

“Hmm, I haven’t found the one for me yet, so no.” Lan Wangji blinked in surprise. “What? Just because I’m a fox doesn’t mean I behave like a yao, okay? I’m a heavenly kind of fox who can absorb yang energy from nature, not pilfering it from weak mortals! Say, mind introducing me to some of your older clan members? Maybe they could be my cultivation partner instead, and I can adopt you as my son!”

“I refuse.” Lan Wangji folded his arms in disagreement, making Wei Wuxian burst into laughter again.

Fortunately for Lan Wangji, the bath went well without any other troubles. Wei Wuxian then tried to help him dress, but the dragon refused, already embarrassed enough as he was from earlier and seeing Wei Wuxian’s state of dress only made him feel shy. The fox finally spared him, promising him a hearty meal and things to do. He also goaded the dragon into letting him feed him, and Lan Wangji let him do it just once.

“Since we had enough of adventuring outside, let’s go spend time in the library!” Wei Wuxian suggested, and they headed off to the library.

“Why not the Cloud Pavilion?” It was the best library after all.

“Well, I did go there before. However, it takes too much time and effort to get permission jade slips. Plus, they won’t let me in the restricted section either. That’s the real section I want to access.”

“I could ask.”

“Aww, thank you for the offer. Maybe next time! Could you help me take the slip from the receptionist? I had some books reserved under my name.” Wei Wuxian requested, reserving a table for his use.

“Okay.” Lan Wangji was about to leave, before he stopped in his footsteps. “Wei Ying, how is your name written again?”

“Ah, the Wei has a ghost radical on the right, and the Ying… It stands for infant, and no, it’s not cherry blossoms, so please get that out of your head.” Wei Wuxian answered.

Lan Wangji suppressed his snicker when he heard that. This fox being associated with cherry blossoms of all things? Wei Ying looks beautiful as the flowers do… Wei Wuxian was hard at work in the library, reading books and studying them. He even talked with Lan Wangji at lengths over the types of talismans, the way they can be combined and even enhancing them further. When the fox was deep in concentration, the dragon then perused certain novels that the fox recommended. Ironically, they happen to be romance novels...

“Lan Zhan, could you help me get that book? Also, help me check the contents too!”

“Okay.” Lan Wangji nodded, and picked up the book at the corner.

Upon flipping the pages open, he got a nasty surprise and immediately slammed the book down where it stayed.

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji shouted.

“Shh, it’s a library! Plus, a boy like you should be enlightened to the world of self pleasure! Unless that’s banned in the Cloud Recesses too?”

“No, but such materials are… are...” The dragon grew flustered by the moment.

It was true that pornographic material was confiscated by the elders, specifically his uncle. However, ‘tastefully’ tailored material that taught one the ways of bedroom matters were permitted. 

“Too explicit for you? If you don’t know how to pleasure yourself, how will you pleasure your future cultivation partner, hmm? In fact, I’ll happily teach you!”

Lan Wangji refused to answer. “I will learn.” He added, somewhat bitter. “But not today. Can we please get back to what we were doing?” He pleaded.

“Good! There’s no better time to learn than when you are at the cusp of puberty!” Wei Wuxian patted him on the back while the dragon tried to erase the explicit images from his mind as much as possible.

It took a long while for Lan Wangji to stop being mad about it. Thus, in order to make up for his prank, Wei Wuxian traveled around with Lan Wangji, trying out all the good food and fun activities they could do. He comes to learn that Wei Wuxian is an excellent archer, able to shoot at moving kites even from afar. The dragon had never seen so many lanterns light up at the Sky Bridge, nor had he seen the lotuses glow at Lotus Pier. It was truly a valuable experience, and made him want to spend more time with the fox. 

They sat at the edge of the Sky Bridge, legs dangling below them. The night sky shone brightly, with the Milky Way above them. Lan Wangji stared at the nine-tailed fox, awed at the side profile. 

“Had fun? Would you want a present?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“I did. And no need. This is the best present you could have given me.” 

“Ah, you’re too good to me. Whoever becomes your wife will totally swoon for you when you are older!” Lan Wangji looked away, trying to hide his reddening ears.

Wei Wuxian insisted on sending Lan Wangji home, but the dragon refused. Their compromise was to part in Gusu. 

“I hope your parents aren’t too worried about you. See you around Lan Zhan and write letters to me, okay!”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji then left, disappearing into thin air.

“So you finally sent that dragon home?” A certain voice spoke out after they left.

“Yep! Finished your business at Gusu already?”

“Yeah. Really, I never thought you would spend so much time with him.” Jiang Cheng folded his arms “Are you going to settle down with him and finally get out of my Lotus Pier?”

“Ah, Jiang Cheng, you don’t have to be so mean! I know you miss me that much!” Wei Wuxian teased. “Besides, I don’t think he feels the same way.”

“Pretty sure no one in their right mind would come back to get tricked twice.” The white tiger rolled his eyes.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that he is a good boy!”

“Yes yes, well-meaning fox who probably pranked a dragon the stupidest things. Don’t come to me for help if the entire clan comes after you for seducing their kind.”

“Please, what could they want from me?”

“Your life, maybe. Anyway, let’s go and get some Emperor’s Smile since you’re here.”

“Are you treating me?”

“Oh hell no!” Jiang Cheng refused. “You still haven’t paid for last time’s drinks!”

Wei Wuxian knew that Lan Zhan was not a child. Sure, the Gusu Lan sect did have their weird ways of raising kids, but the dragon in front of him was no normal one either. He had to be someone of high cultivation for him to break his wards a second time. The first time may be a fluke, but a second? Even Jiang Cheng stopped pressing the issue after he came back from the Cloud Recesses as he said no child went missing. Within the Nine Realms, it’s normal for some immortals to take the form of a child for infiltration purposes.

He doubted that the Gusu Lan dragons wanted something from a wandering fox. It is not in their nature to be subtle. It’s possible that the dragon really stumbled upon him by accident. That said, it was fun teasing Lan Zhan. There is no doubt the boy, no, man, is so upstuck that he has never experienced the joys of life and Wei Wuxian would be more than happy to enlighten him. I wonder if Hanguang-jun is this easy to tease too? What a shame that guy just coops up in that stuffy old place, only leaving for night hunts.  

The fox rested his chin on his hand, and he looked out the window to look at the moon after sipping from a jar of Emperor’s Smile. I wonder what he looks like as an adult.

In the Cloud Pavilion, there existed forbidden records. The section was started by Lan Yi, who felt the need to chronicle certain records about Yin creatures. The dragons were known for their strong Yang energy, and thus would need to know how to handle Yin energy when they encounter it. Furthermore, Yin and Yang were part of a complete whole. Eventually, the section grew to cover other areas, such as demons and well… those governing intimate relations with them. How the contents of intimate relations or sexual intercourse even with other dragons got there had been a funny story, Lan Wangji heard. Apparently, the elders feared that the dragons would accidentally drain their Yang energy and be distracted from actual ‘legitimate’ forms of cultivation that the clan taught, and thus banished most of it to the forbidden archives. Only when one achieved a suitable cultivation level would they gain access to them.

He had long surpassed the age and the cultivation required for that, but he usually went in to do research on demons before going on missions to exterminate or exorcise them. This was actually the first time he went into the forbidden archives for other purposes. Furthermore, nine-tailed foxes were rare, and since Wei Ying said he cultivated with Yin energy… then he supposed it was a good place to start. Yang nine-tailed foxes did exist, but Lan Wangji had read about them already since they were not restricted to the forbidden archives. Currently, in his hand was a book on the Yin-type nine-tailed foxes, and particularly their… weaknesses.

“Wangji, what brings you to the Cloud Pavilion? Particularly in this section.” A voice called up, and Lan Wangji looked up to see his brother approaching him. “I’m sure you don’t have any missions at the moment.”

His brother knew him too well. “Ah, Brother. I had made a friend, who is a nine-tailed fox. So I grew curious about them.”

“I see, so your friend is a nine-tailed fox. Why the forbidden section though?”

“He’s… a yin fox.” Lan Wangji’s ears reddened.

It’s not like he could tell his brother that he fell asleep on said fox’s tails and only wanted to know why it had such an enchanting effect on him. Nothing else. No, not the part about where the fox is most sensitive or other weaknesses. Lan Xichen’s smile seemed oddly strained, but Lan Wangji was too deep in his embarrassment to notice.

“Oh… Well, as your older brother, all I can say is tread carefully in your exploration!” Lan Xichen broke the silence, patting his brother on the shoulder. “I hope I get to see your friend soon. He must have made you so happy. Will you bring him to visit the Cloud Recesses any time soon?” 

“Yes, I hope so.” Lan Wangji smiled. He did after all want to be worthy of Wei Ying’s affections, and if learning how to pleasure him would work, he would do it.

“Be calm and patient with him. There’s no harm in taking it slow, just don’t come on too strong on him, okay?”

“Yes, Brother.”

Mother, I guess you will have your wish granted soon. Lan Xichen thought as he watched his brother continue to peruse such materials. Our dear Wangji has grown up so fast. He quietly shed a tear. He just wished he didn’t have to walk in on his brother trying to learn how to pleasure his new friend.

The next time they saw each other was two weeks later, and they arranged it to meet at the hot spring where they encountered each other. Wei Wuxian had already arrived earlier, anticipating meeting the dragon. Would he finally show his adult form? He laid on the grass, happily savouring the yang energy beneath him. A small shadow formed in the sky, followed by a soft thud. Wei Wuxian looked up to see the dragon landing from the sky.

“Lan Zhan! So glad to see you!”

“Mn. Wei Ying, before we start… I have something important to say.”

“Why so serious?” Wei Wuxian asked. “You act like you did something wrong.”

“I did. I unintentionally deceived you. I am actually an adult, not a kid.”

Before the nine-tailed fox could react, the young dragon in front of him transformed into an older form, slightly towering over him. His younger face matured out into a sterner, sharper chin. His beautiful golden eyes had narrowed, somewhat close to slits but still retained the same shade of gold. His stature was well-built and although the long, flowing robes that billowed in the wind hid it, Wei Wuxian could tell there were rock hard muscles. His horns were much bigger too, and much of his draconic scales were hidden by his clothing. 

“Ah… okay?” Wei Wuxian said, completely surprised by this.

He had been expecting an adult dragon but… Why is he so damn handsome?! Life is so unfair!  

“Yes. I apologise for my late introduction. My name is Lan Wangji, the Second Young Master of the Gusu Lan clan.” He bowed to the fox. “Please do not be angry at me. I didn't mean to deceive you.” Lan Wangji said, apologetic. 

Wei Wuxian’s face flushed completely red as the memories of their past two encounters came back to him. This amazing sexy man in front of me had buried his head in my tails, allowed me to feed him and let me play around with him… is Hanguang-jun?! To think that I made him feed me… and we even bathed together. But the worst part was me showing him porn books!!! Wei Wuxian screamed inwardly. 

“Wei Ying?”

“Wait! Give me a minute!” Wei Wuxian shouted and turned his back on the handsome man in front of him.

Okay calm down, Wei Wuxian. It’s okay. He likes me too right? Why else would he show me his adult form? Didn’t they say that Hanguang-jun doesn’t like being close to others? He even let me call him by his birth name! Ah!!!! His tails could not stop waggling and he pushed them down. But first…  

“Actually, I kind of knew you were an adult.” Wei Wuxian began, turning to face him. 

“You did?” Lan Wangji widened his eyes in surprise.

“You don’t randomly break through my wards twice. The first being the first time we met, and the second time when you followed me when I went to save my biaomei. One time may be a fluke, but twice is not.”

“Oh. I thought… I had fooled you.” The dragon looked away, shy.

“To be honest, you could. No one would expect the great Hanguang-jun to be so cute as a kid. Tell me, why would you disguise yourself as a kid? You technically lied to me and broke the rules! So Hanguang-jun does break the rules after all!” Wei Wuxian cheerfully added.

With his ears red, Lan Wangji explained the rationale for why he disguised himself the way he did.

“Wait, let me get this straight. You disguised yourself as a child… just to get away from your suitors?” Wei Wuxian asked, and the dragon nodded. The fox immediately burst into laughter. “Oh my Heavens, this is so funny! Ordinary people would just change form or just hide!”

“Wei Ying!”

“Okay, enough teasing. There’s one thing I would like you to do for me, and if you do it, I’ll forgive you completely for lying to me.” The fox said.

“What do you want me to do, Wei Ying?” The dragon asked.

Wei Wuxian grinned.

Up in the vast blue sky, a silver blue dragon flew with immense strength. Sitting on the dragon was an excited nine-tailed fox.

“This is so much fun! I cannot believe that you could have given me a ride on your tail this entire time!” Wei Wuxian screamed, enjoying the wind blowing at him and his tails. 

After a long trip in the skies, they finally collapsed right next to the hot spring.

“I’m so happy!” Wei Wuxian shouted, and Lan Wangji stared at him in confusion. “I’m happy that I got to meet you. You know, I actually kind of like you… so may I know if you like me in that way too? It’s okay if you don’t, I’m good with being sworn brothers with you!” Wei Wuxian was very confident in his ability to court someone. 

Instead of answering him, Lan Wangji pulled off his forehead ribbon, and tied it around his wrist.

“Lan Zhan?”

“This is my answer. The ribbon symbolizes restraint, and can only be touched by one’s fated one.”

“Are… you sure about this?” Wei Wuxian's cheeks started to heat up, and his ears too pointed upwards towards the sky.

“As long as you are willing to be my cultivation partner, I am willing.”

“Oh yes! I’ll be your cultivation partner! No one understands me as well as you do. I want to do everything with you every day! Eating together, bathing together and sleeping together. Even killing monsters together!” He hugged the dragon.

“I too, love you.”

“Please don’t say words like that, I’m going to have a heart attack.” He buried his head into the dragon's neck, and smelled the scent of sandalwood.

“Then let’s get married.” Wei Wuxian stopped and looked up at Lan Wangji, who had a straight face.

“Hahahaha, you’re really so impatient, Hanguang-jun! But for now, you can ravish me as you like~” Wei Wuxian teased, and they rolled over on the floor. “Right, Lan-ergege?” He grinned.

Lan Wangji immediately pulled Wei Wuxian into a deep kiss.

Coda:

Two weeks had passed since Jiang Cheng last saw that fox in Lotus Pier, who probably left to hang out with the dragon again. Wei Wuxian better not have gotten into trouble!

“Yo, Jiang Cheng!”

“Where the hell have you been?!”

“Ah, nothing much. I had so much fun with Lan Zhan! Oh yeah, guess what? I’m getting married to him!”

Jiang Cheng spat his tea out.

“What the fuck?”