Lan Wangji awoke to the sounds of birds cooing softly outside of his expensively furnished and spacious room at Cloud Recesses. This was his sixteenth year of living in such a peaceful place. He had grown to love it even though it could feel a bit isolating and lonely at times.
He sighed and rose from his bed. Bathed, adorned his headpiece and his light blue, pristine robes. He felt refreshed.
Today marked his day of birth.
As he walked outside, fellow disciples greeted him and servants smiled gently at him as they bowed. Customary of the Lan Clan of Gusu, there were no decorations or visible signs of celebration but there was a hint of anticipation in the air as upright and steady friends walked with steps that were double that of the pace they might normally walk.
As Lan Wangji started to cross the bridge that separated his quarters from the main quarters at Cloud Recesses, he found his brother standing before him. Pausing for a moment, he placed his hands together and bowed graciously in greeting.
“Wangji,” his brother returned as Wangji rose back up and met his eyes. His brother wore a small smile. “How are you faring today.”
Wangji didn't respond immediately. He had to think over his answer carefully so as to speak as truthfully as possible. Eventually, he settled on the vague response of... “Well.”
Lan Xichen gave a nod. “You seem a bit nervous,” the older man said.
Wangji's eyes moved downward, the only indication that Xichen had read him right – as usual. Sometimes he hated that his brother could read him so well. They fell into step side by side as they both began to make their way to the main hall of Cloud Recesses.
“I remember how I felt when Uncle held a Pairing Ceremony for me,” Xichen continued. “I couldn't eat or sleep.”
He glanced over at his younger brother. Wangji, again, gave no indication that he was listening but Xichen knew he was being attentive.
“As next in line to be Head of the Lan Clan, I knew it was important for me to find a cultivation partner that would help me continue to lead our clan in moral integrity and good fortune. That was my responsibility as the eldest child. But as a selfish young man, I also wanted to find someone I could love. And I had doubts that I would find that person in one day. And even if I did, how would I know?”
Lan Wangji stopped walking and faced his brother. The question of “So? How did you know?” rested in his eyes.
Xichen smiled. “There's never any knowing how things will play out,” Xichen said. A slight shadow of disappointment entered Wanji's eyes before Xichen continued. “But what I did know was that Lady Qin Su held my interest. And she has held my interest ever since. So there has been no regret.” Wangji stared at his brother, understanding what he was trying to tell him.
Lady Qin Su of the Jin Clan married into their family three years ago. She now lived in Cloud Recesses along with Lan Xichen and they had a two-year-old child. A son. And they seemed content. Lan Wangji could only hope that his Pairing Ceremony would be as successful.
'No regret,' he thought.
Seeing that he was still slightly anxious, Lan Xichen put a hand on his shoulder. “Remember,” he said. “The responsibility of Cloud Recesses is already taken care of. All you have to focus on is what you want.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “Mm.”
Wangji sat on padded bedding behind an intricately designed privacy screen in the main hall. Incense was burning so that the smell of jasmine flowers lingered in the air and he tried to focus his mind and his core so as to ease his nerves. He had been sitting here for two hours now and had gone through meetings with eight women from the main clans.
His uncle sat on a large chair at the front of the hall and the women would greet him before approaching the privacy screen that surrounded Lan Wangji and spark up a conversation to see if they would be a good match. So far, Wangji was unimpressed. All of the conversations had been mundane and seemed to be copies of the same script except slightly varied in some parts.
He only hoped the rest of the day would go a little smoother.
After the matching of wits, there would be the meeting of eyes, then the touching of hands, and then the selection. The matching of wits was this. Speaking without visual aide to see if they could stimulate each other in conversation. Lan Wangji would narrow the selection pool down to five after this and then they would have the meeting of eyes where he would share dinner with the five he had chosen. After the meeting of eyes, he would narrow the selection pool down to three where he would dance with his three chosen partners. This was called the touching of hands. After touching of hands, then would be the selection. He would pick the two that maintained his interest throughout the day and he would court them over the next two weeks. From there, he would naturally settle on the one that he intended to spend the rest of his life and cultivation journey with. Ideally, he would be engaged to be married by the end of this month.
He got through two more conversations, one a lady from the Wen clan and another, a lady from a small clan that had just been formed. Surprisingly, she had been slightly more interesting than the rest. It was after these two, that he heard something surprising.
A male's voice.
“Clan Leader Qiren...” The sound of shuffling fabric that indicated bowing. “First disciple of the Jiang Clan, Wei Wuxian, greeting you respectfully. I am here to attempt to win the hand of Lan Wangji, the Twin Jade of Gusu.”
From the side of his eyes, Wangji stared at the privacy screen keeping him from viewing the young man's face. 'Is this a joke?' he wondered. He had never really seen the two sons of the Jiang Clan. But he had heard of them. He had heard that they were strong and respectable but in regards to Wei Wuxian, he had also heard that he was quite mischievous and wild. He wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to play a prank on the Lan Clan simply for amusement. He held back a silent “hmph” and closed his eyes again, a slight furrow between his brows.
His uncle must have also been suspicious because he questioned him where he had not questioned others. “Young Master Wei,” he started. “I'm surprised to see you here. I was expecting your sister to come. I hope she's not ill?”
“Oh, no, she's fine,” Wei Wuxian said with a laugh.
His laugh was light and airy. How could he be so carefree in front of an elder from another clan? Lan Wanji became more certain of his prior assumption that this Wei Wuxian was here to make a fool of him.
“I heard that every major clan was expected to send a child out for this ceremony, and I just wanted to do my part without troubling my sister. You see, Clan Leader, her heart lies with someone else and I didn't want her to feel burdened.”
“Oh, that's too bad,” Lan Qiren answered. “Jiang Yanli is a modest and upright young woman. I would have loved for her to be a part of the Lan Clan. Well...I guess there's nothing we can do. Thank you for coming all this way. You don't have to go through the ceremony if you don't want. The fact that you came to tell me this in person is already more than enough.”
“No, no, no, no!” Lan Wangji heard shuffling again. “I'd still like to take part in the ceremony, Clan Leader. I've heard so much about Lan Wangji. I've been wanting to meet him!”
Wangji breathed heavily through his nose. He was already tired and his muscles were hurting him to sit in this position for so long. Yet Wei Wuxian was here to waste his time even though he had no intention of marrying him. He hoped his uncle would send him away, but his hopes were dashed when his uncle chuckled and gave the bright sounding young man the okay to talk to him.
He heard Wuxian approaching, making way too much noise. Each of his steps seemed to elicit an excited exhalation of breath. “Hanguang Jun,” the young man said as he settled onto his knees noisily. “Hanguang Jun. Are you back there?”
'Where else would I be?' Lan Wangji thought to himself. But he answered simply. “Yes.”
“Ah! Hanguang Jun!” Wuxian repeated excitedly. “I heard that you helped send unsettled spirits away with your brother last year. Is that true? I was so jealous when I heard. Such an admirable thing to do at such a young age! And while handsome too?! All of the girls of Yunmeng have been talking about how radiant you look in the moonlight. How glowing you look and how silky your hair is. Hey, Hanguang Jun...Is all that they say about you true?”
The tips of Wangji's ears grew red and he was sure his cheeks did too. He was glad that he was hidden behind the privacy screen. He didn't know how to answer that question, so he didn't say anything. It seemed that it didn't matter because Wei Wuxian continued on.
“Also...what should I call you? I feel like Hanguang Jun is too formal. We are possibly going to get engaged, after all.” Wei Wuxian giggled. The sound bubbled from his throat and overflowed with youthful energy and happiness.
'Did he really come to make a mockery of my Pairing Ceremony?' Wangji wondered to himself. His grip tightened over his knees.
“How about...Lan Wangji? Or...Lan Zhan?” He giggled again. A mischievous sound that indicated he knew how shameless he was being but that he was too delighted at his own mischief to stop. “And you can call me Wei Ying to be fair.”
'Who says I accept this agreement?' Wangji argued to himself as Wuxian rambled on.
“Eh. Lan Zhan...” The name came so easily to his lips. “You must have heard just now but I'll repeat it for you. You must have been expecting my sister from the Jiang Clan. But, aiyo, she likes a spoiled peacock from the Jin Clan named Jin Zixuan so I came in her place. My sister is charming and cute. You would have definitely fallen for her! And then she would have felt so burdened! Aiyo~! Please understand. The Jiang Clan doesn't mean you any disrespect. Clan Leader Jiang took me in when I was a child; they're the nicest clan there is. Besides the Lan Clan that is! Hehehe~ The Lan Clan and the Jiang Clan are equally great. Oh! That reminds me...Lan Zhan! I want to fight you!”
Coughing could be heard from Lan Qiren's throne.
“I mean, not like a real fight!” Wei Wuxian continued on. “A fight between friends. Maybe even a fight between lovers seeing the situation we're in.” Wuxian released another mischievous laugh.
Wangji's eyes widened in shock at the other man's shamelessness.
“That's how men bond, right?” Wuxian continued. “I think it would be fun to test my skills against you. Lan Zhan, let me tell you, you would be in awe, okay? I'm not such a bad fighter. You'll be impressed. You'll see.”
“Young Master Wei,” Lan Zhan started sternly. “Do you truly want to be my cultivation partner or did you come here to boast about your swordsmanship?”
There was a beat of silence in which Wangji thought Wuxian must be seriously considering his question, but when the other man spoke again, he knew he had been wrong. “Ohhh~ Lan Zhan~! Your voice is deep and sexy. No wonder girls for a hundred miles over swoon over you!”
Lan Zhan closed his eyes against frustration and tried to center himself again. But his ears were also once again tinged with a hue of pink.
“As for your question...” Wuxian continued. “I think being Lan Zhan's cultivation partner is fine! If you're as handsome and skilled as people say, I would be pretty lucky!”
If Wangji were a more expressive person, he would have scoffed and rolled his eyes. How could he be so cavalier about this? Didn't he realize this was a lifetime commitment if he were to be chosen? He was treating it all as if it were a game.
“Cloud Recesses isn't so bad either. Of course, it's not as good as Lotus Pier but- Hey! Wait! Lan Zhan! You should come to visit Lotus Pier with me! I can show you around. We can eat lotus seeds and play in Lotus Lake. Sounds fun, right?”
Wangji refused to admit that it did, indeed, sound fun. He had been to Yunmeng before but he was yet to visit the Jiang Clan's residence at Lotus Pier. He was curious to know what it was like. Many said it was beautiful.
“What do you like to do in your spare time, Lan Zhan?”
Wangji's answers came easily. “Study. Read. Practice meditation.”
“Aiyo~! How boring! Don't worry. I'll teach you how to have fun. We can drink together and use low level spirits to haunt little kids-”
“Drinking isn't allowed at Cloud Recesses. Neither is bullying.”
“What? Drinking isn't allowed?! Since when?!”
“Since many years ago.”
Wuxian whined loudly. “That's torture, Lan Zhan.”
Wangji continued to listen to him whine for a few more minutes. He was honestly curious about how long the other man could go on uninterrupted, but he had to cut his wonderings short as it seemed Wuxian had at least half an hour more in him and Wangji was on limited time.
“Young Master Wei.”
Wuxian stopped talking abruptly, surprised to be interrupted. “Huh? Yes. Lan Zhan.”
He always sounded so obliviously happy. Wangji wondered if his grin looked as silly as it sounded.
“I would love to continue to sit here and listen to you complain about the 3,000 rules here at Cloud Recesses-”
“3,000?!” Wangji heard Wuxian balk behind the privacy screen.
He continued. “But I have other suitors to see. You understand.”
“Oh. Okay, Lan Zhan.” Wangji imagined he heard a pout in Wuxian's voice, but he wasn't sure if that was just his imagination or whether the man on the other side of the screen actually sported one. He tried not to be curious about how that expression would look on his face along with the smile. “Will you come to Lotus Pier?”
He was stubborn too.
“If there's a need for me to be there, I might,” Wangji responded.
“I'll be there! That's a need! We're friends!”
“We're not friends.”
“Not even a little? We're on a date right now! I think that makes us-”
“Not a date.”
Spluttering sounds from behind the privacy screen. “This is the ceremony where you choose who you're going to marry! If these aren't dates, what are they?”
“Meetings.”
“Lan Zhan~! That's so unromantic! I feel sorry for whoever you're going to choose. 3,000 rules and a stick-in-the-mud husband.”
Lan Wangji blinked. Did he just get insulted?
Wangji finally managed to send the talkative man off, and he faced 15 more meetings after that. It was tedious. Especially since he couldn't get Wuxian out of his head. It annoyed him that he had come in so carefree and then had proceeded to look down on the teachings and rules of Gusu while claiming that he wanted to be friends. Wangji didn't plan on being friends with anyone who didn't respect tradition.
* * *
The suitors that had attended the ceremony were all sequestered in a beautiful cul-de-sac on the Eastern edge of the Cloud Recesses. Forest surrounded a circular setup of cozy cottages. A decorative fountain rested in the very center of the area. This area was apparently usually used as housing for some of the female cultivators studying at Cloud Recesses. But while the suitors were here, they would be housed here for the week.
Wuxian looked around with a smile on his face. This was his first time at Cloud Recesses, so he was enjoying the view. It was true that Cloud Recesses was one of the most aesthetically pleasing sect homes; Wuxian would place it second only to Lotus Pier. He hurried over to the fountain with a light laugh, amused by the general peace of the setting he had found himself in.
The fact that he was the only man there didn't bother him at all. The women around him, though, were giving him curious looks. When he sat down on the stone border of the fountain and began to trail his finger in the clear depths, an attractive woman dressed in an intricate golden wardrobe approached him. When he sensed her hovering near him and looked up, she bowed in greeting before standing tall again. “Hello,” she said. “May I have the pleasure of knowing your name and what clan you're from?”
Wuxian gave the woman a quick, curious once-over before a pleased smile overtook his face. She was quite pleasant looking. He was no stranger to beautiful women. He loved charming them and making them blush. It amused him greatly and it made him feel good to know he could affect women so. So faced with the beauty standing before him, the playfulness he usually felt in such a situation filled his gut. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a teasing look.
“I feel it's polite for the person asking to first reveal their own name, don't you think?” he asked, standing up from his perch on the side of the fountain.
The woman pouted and looked off to the side, a little miffed to be responded to in such a way but she complied. “My name is Luo Qingyang,” she answered. “Now you.”
Wuxian smiled. “Luo Qingyang...” He recognized the name of one of the female cultivators of the Jin Clan. “Hmm...The name doesn't fit.”
Even though she knew she was being baited, Qingyang couldn't help the small furrow of curiosity that creased her brow. “Why doesn't it fit?” she asked.
“It sounds so dignified. I was expecting something that sounds more...cute.” A teasing smile lifted one side of Wuxian's lips.
Qingyang scowled. How dare this cheeky man tease her so forwardly. Who was he anyway? Was he a scoundrel that sneaked in with the purpose of trying to steal away with one of Lan Wangji's suitors? Qingyang started to look around for a guard who might be on duty when someone called her name.
“Mianmian!”
Her personal servant came up to her side, breathing heavily from running. “Mianmian, I've been looking for you.”
“Mianmian?” Qingyang frowned and turned towards the male imposter again when she heard his chipper voice. “That's more like it! Mianmian!”
“You can't call me that!” Mianmian said angrily, crossing her arms. “Only my friends can call me that. Besides, you haven't told me your name yet.”
“My name is...” Wuxian's sly smirk grew. “Yuandao.”
Mianmian and her servant shared curious looks for a second before Mianmian's expression darkened further. He was teasing her with an ancient poem. In quite a flirtatious way too. “How dare you!” she said. “Did you come to this Pairing Ceremony to try to steal away with one of Lan Wangji's suitors?”
Wuxian scoffed a laugh before puffing his chest out. “Why should I try to take what he has? I'm a possible bride too!”
Mianmian's brows furrowed in confusion. “But you're...” Her eyes traveled up and down. It was obvious what was causing her so much bewilderment. “You're a man!”
“Mm!” Wuxian confirmed with a firm nod, refusing to back down.
Mianmian gave him another once-over, still suspicious of him. “Are you from a small clan or something? Trying to work your way into a large and respected clan in any way possible?”
Wuxian shook his head and tsked. “See, this is why I don't want my sister marrying into the Jin Clan. So presumptuous.” He ignored Mianmian's offended huff and continued. “I'm from the much respected Jiang Clan, thank you very much. My name is Wei Wuxian.”
“Wei Wuxian...” Mianmian thought back, recognizing the name. When the name clicked in her mind, she gasped. “You-! Shouldn't you be having a Pairing Ceremony of your own sometime soon?”
Wuxian lifted his chin proudly. “Uncle and Madame Yu agreed to not make us or any of the disciples do anything that we didn't want to do. And neither Jiang Cheng or I wanted to go through a Pairing Ceremony because love is something that should come naturally. It can't be forced and it definitely shouldn't be decided through such a rigid ceremony like this.” Wuxian sat down on the fountain again with a satisfied smile. He loved his opinions and he loved sharing them.
Mianmian frowned, drawn into the conversation even though she didn't want to be. “If you're so against Pairing Ceremonies, why are you here then?” she asked again.
“Aiyo~!” Wuxian started. “Let me tell you. My sister was betrothed to this peacock-” He stopped talking abruptly when he realized he was about to insult Jin Zixuan to someone who was a part of his sect. He quickly redirected. “My sister was betrothed to Young Master Jin from your clan. But, as you know, that pairing is still in question because your young master...” He couldn't keep his lips from curling sourly. “Acted like a spoiled brat and told everyone that he doesn't want to marry Shijie.”
“Our young master is not a spoiled brat,” Mianmian huffed, a stubborn scowl on her face.
Wuxian pursed his lips, wanting to dispute that claim but he decided against it. “Anyway,” he continued. “Their marriage was recently called off, but my sister actually liked the guy for some reason. But when the marriage was called off and Madame Yu heard that a Pairing Ceremony was going to be held for The Second Jade of Lan, she started pressuring Shijie to attend and marry a Lan since her prior marriage wasn't happening. And when Madame Yu gets her mind set on something, the whole Jiang Clan suffers until she gets her way.”
Wuxian pouted. “Shijie is really nice and dutiful. I knew she would give in to what Madame Yu wanted, for the best of Jiang Clan, if it continued much longer. I didn't want her to have to marry if it's not what her heart truly wants. So I decided to volunteer.” Wuxian puffed his chest out and forced a smile. “Madame Yu wants the Jiang Clan to have strong ties among the cultivation world more than anything so it doesn't matter whether sister marries or whether I marry. As long as one of us can form a strong bond with one of the equally strong clans.” His forced smile became a bit sadder as he continued. “I don't really expect to come back engaged to The Second Jade of Lan, but at least I tried, right? It's better for her to be disappointed in me rather than in Shijie. I'm used to it.”
Mianmian's expression softened. It was actually quite noble what Wuxian was doing for his sister and his clan. “What about you?” she asked. “What about what your heart wants?”
Wuxian waved a dismissive hand. “Uncle Jiang gave me a happy life by taking me in when I was a kid. My heart wants to make them happy. That's more than enough.”
Mianmian's defensive stance dropped even more before she begrudgingly gave him an accepting nod. “Fine,” she said, raising her chin. “Then...may the best bride win.”
Wuxian folded his arms over his chest and gave her a haughty sidelong glance. “Mm,” he agreed.
Wuxian and Mianmian were suddenly interrupted when commotion started amongst the other female guests. Excitement. Wuxian turned to the front to see what the commotion was about and understood when he saw the First Jade of Lan standing in front of them. He was reportedly equally as handsome as Lan Wangji but more approachable. That's what everyone said about him. The small smile on his chiseled face hinted at the possibility of those rumors being completely true. And if Lan Wangji was indeed equally as handsome as the man standing in front of them, the poems written about him wouldn't be exaggerations. Wuxian found himself looking forward to getting a glimpse of the Second Jade of Lan.
Lan Xichen, the First Jade of Lan, bent in a greeting and then began to speak. “The Lan Clan of Gusu would like to thank all of the clans for coming to show their interest in wedding Gusu's greatest pride and second son, Lan Wangji. I know some of you have traveled from very far and Gusu will show our appreciation for your arrival by gifting you with some of our finest steeds and horses to help you on your travel back. After much deliberation, Wangji has made his selection of five. Those five will proceed to sharing dinner with Lan Wangji in the main hall. The rest of you are free to stay for the week or leave as soon as you hear the decision or any time in between. Lodgings have been set up for you to keep you as comfortable as possible.”
Wuxian nodded and looked around at the other women. He started making plans in his head on whether he would take his time in Gusu before heading back or whether he'd go ahead and get back to the Lotus Ponds he loved so much. 'I'll visit the marketplace and then pinch some Emperor's Smile before I go,' he thought to himself. He'd heard a lot about the famous liquor of Gusu. He couldn't wait to try it.
“I'll read off the names of those my brother would like to see again now,” Lan Xichen said, still smiling softly.
Wuxian could practically feel the nerves coming off some of the other women. It was starting to affect him as well. He was very empathetic. Especially when beautiful women were involved. “Mianmian,” he scolded in a whisper. “Stop being so nervous! You're giving it to me.” He placed his hand over his heart and rubbed to try to calm the sudden quickened pace there. Mianmian sent him a quick glare but didn't respond.
“Lady Wen Qing from the Wen Clan.” An arrogant looking woman with a stern expression and large eyes initiated a bow of thanks when Lan Xichen read her name. Other women threw her sour glances.
'She's beautiful,' Wuxian thought. 'As expected, Second Jade of Lan has good taste even through a privacy screen.' He smiled gleefully and turned back to the front, curious to see who Wangji's other choices were.
“Lady Chan Ruwan from the newly formed Chan Clan.” Another beautiful woman smiled and gave a bow. But she bounced on her heels afterwards, a little less refined than Lady Wen. Wuxian chuckled. “Lady Luo Qingyang from the Jin Clan,” Xichen continued to read.
“Mianmian!” Wuxian whispered excitedly, happy for her. Mianmian tried to hold back her own wide smile and swatted him away before giving her own bow. Girls around them gave them sneers and displeased looks, but Xichen smiled wider, seemingly amused at their less than genteel conduct. He continued to read.
“Lady Su Minhe.” Wuxian lightly applauded politely as another woman gave her bow. He sighed, wondering if Lan Wangji would take him up on his offer to visit Lotus Pier. He hoped the other man knew he was sincere when he offered to be friends. He didn't want their interaction to end after this-
“First Disciple Wei Wuxian from the Jiang Clan.”
Wuxian's head snapped up and his mouth hung open. Had he heard that right? “M-me?” he asked, pointing to himself.
Lan Xichen gave him another amused smile. “Yes, you, Young Master Wei.”
Xichen began to give further instructions as some of the women surrounding him who had been models of propriety and class before began to let curses slip past their lips, but Wuxian couldn't pay attention to any of it. He was as shocked by the results as anyone. Never did he imagine that the Second Jade of Lan would actually...choose him.
“Master Lan is quite bold,” Mianmian said beside him. She looked around at all of the angry faces looking their way. “His reputation may not be as spotless after this.”
Wuxian followed her gaze and knew she was right. Wangji had just chosen a man over many beautiful women here today. Hurt pride was sure to cause gossip to start and probably claims of Wangji having certain sexual appetites fit only for cutsleeves and sexual deviants. Wuxian felt a twinge of guilt twist in his stomach. He felt as if he put a stain on the name of one of the most respected sects in the cultivation world.
Comments
Post a Comment