Revised 23/12/23

Hi sorry I was studying because Duolingo was holding my family hostage

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"Lan Zhan, answer me this very seriously," said Wei Wuxian. Despite the bustling streets of Caiyi Town, where many people were wandering around near the public stalls, Wei Wuxian still managed to walk backwards without bumping into a single person. "One or two?"

"Wei Ying, be careful," Lan Wangji chided, taking Wei Wuxian's sleeve and turning him around to face the right direction. "Don't walk backwards. You can't see."

"But what am I supposed to do when I can't see your face, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian sobbed, dramatically putting a hand on his heart and looking up at Lan Wangji. "I'm afraid... The second I look away from you, I already miss you. What if you go off and find a nice wife when I'm not watching, hm? Also, one or two?"

"Won't," said Lan Wangji. He sighed, though Wei Wuxian was not at all fazed as he could easily sense the amusement. "One. Why?"

"Ah, why do you have to be so unique, Lan Zhan?!" Wei Wuxian pouted cheekily. "Out of all my years in Yunmeng, I can confidently say that most people say 'two'. Why are you an exception? Now that I think of it, of course handsome Hanguang-Jun goes wherever there is trouble, and he is always the exception to things, but who knew his reputation extended to the scary Yiling Patriarch?"

"Wei Ying is no trouble. What was it for?"

"Uh," Wei Wuxian laughed, and for some reason he couldn't meet Lan Wangji's eyes. "The number of jars of Emperor's Smile I was going to get..."

"Ridiculous," Lan Wangji murmured. Suddenly, he grabbed Wei Wuxian by the hem of his sleeve and gently guided him to a stall that had caught his attention. There were many small butterfly toys on display, and Wei Wuxian's face instantly lit up at the sight.

"Little butterflies!" he whispered, looking up at Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan, do you remember? These were A-Yuan's favourite! Why don't we buy him one—"

And then his smile seemed to freeze on his face, and he slowly looked down at the floor. Lan Wangji himself was arguably the hardest person to read, as he hid his emotions behind a face of indifference; perhaps that was why he had always been able to sense Wei Wuxian's emotions so easily, and never failed to notice his unease.

"I'll take three," he said to the vendor, who smiled in thanks as they picked them off the display. Lan Wangji nodded before glancing down at Wei Wuxian, who just realised then that Lan Wangji was slightly taller than him.

"One for you," he murmured, handing two to Wei Wuxian. "One for A-Yuan, when we see him again. And one for me."

"Silly Lan Zhan," said Wei Wuxian. Suddenly, he felt extremely bashful, and he was grinning so widely and uncontrollably that whatever he did, he couldn't push it down! Really, when it came to Lan Wangji, why was he always acting like a shy maiden? "Thank you. I will definitely keep it safe."

"Mn," Lan Wangji replied, his lips twitching.

"Ah!" Wei Wuxian yelped, struck as though caught off guard. "I almost forgot! We need to get to the Florist's mansion!"

Meanwhile, in Cloud Recess, Lan Qiren had just returned from his discussion conference and he immediately began to grade some old tests he had given the guest disciples before he made his leave. He had a fresh pot of Chamomile tea prepared by his eldest nephew himself, and was anticipating a relaxing evening, where he won't be disturbed.

However, he would save that for later, because it certainly wasn't in action that moment — two disciples were lingering outside his door, and he could hear them muttering to one another about who should be the one to open it.

"Hey! Lan Xinyu, what are you so afraid of? I'd open it, but you know how I am with doors."

"Lan San, just open it! If you don't, then I promise I'll just stand here forever!"

"You're so annoying," Lan San murmured, and Lan Qiren proceeded to hear three extremely loud thumps on his door, and he felt his forehead bulge with a vein. What an unruly disciple! "See! Before, you said I did it too loud, so I did it quieter the next time. But you said that was too quiet, so this time I'm trying to find an equilibrium, but you still think it's too loud! Hey, what are you looking at me like that for–"

"Enter," said Lan Qiren.

The two inner disciples entered, and they stood in front of him and bowed. He noticed one of them was tapping their feet on the floor and fiddling with their fingers, and the other was visibly trembling – was he really so scary?

"Speak," he said coolly. Lan Xinyu jumped the moment he spoke, looking as though he wanted to run back out the way he came.

"Er, well," Lan Xinyu murmured, looking up at Lan San helplessly. "Well..."

"Grandmaster," Lan San bowed. Lan Qiren's eyebrows furrowed in anticipation — the disciple was bowing so low; just how bad could the news they were about to tell him be? "Your nephew, Second Young Master Lan, he..." he inhaled deeply before finishing very quickly, "He ran away with Wei Wuxian to get married!"

"WHAT?!" Lan Qiren gasped, coughing so fiercely that he started to wheeze. Before he knew it, his vision was getting blurry and all he could see were large pools of red all over the Nie Clan's Young Master's test — he needed to get the brat to redo it...

"Ah, help! Help!" called Lan San, rushing out of the room. "The grandmaster is having a qi deviation! Help!"

Suddenly, a large group of the clan's healers entered, and they came so quickly it was as though they had just been waiting outside the door, already anticipating the qi deviation. The healers rushed to Lan Qiren's side just as Lan Xichen entered with Jiang Wanyin in tow, a few of the guest disciples curiously peering into the room behind them.

"Ah, as much as I regret putting my Uncle in danger," Lan Xichen sighed, slowly shaking his head. "He had to know. There was simply no other way."

Jiang Cheng was silently nodding, and he started to gently tap Lan Xichen's shoulder in consolation. "You did the right thing."

The Florist's mansion stood in stark contrast to their memories. As opposed to the decrepit state left behind by Wen Chao previously, it now exuded an air of beauty and wealth akin to any prosperous land one might encounter. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji came to a halt just as they reached the entrance, and the door seemed to ominously loom before them.

"Ah, there's a ward!" said Wei Wuxian brightly, and he seemed so ecstatic at the revelation that it was almost as though he was excited. Lan Wangji looked at him with fondness, and Wei Wuxian suddenly straightened his back and felt the need to impress Lan Wangji. "Ah, but of course, this is nothing to me. Just a tap of a talisman like so, and — See! Dispelled! What did I tell you, Lan Zhan?"

"Wei Ying is really talented," praised Lan Wangji, and Wei Wuxian was so pleased that he couldn't stop smiling again.

Wei Wuxian started to walk inside the Manor, but before he could, Lan Wangji grabbed his wrist and started to glance around cautiously. "Don't be hasty."

"Lan Zhan, what is there to be afraid of?" Wei Wuxian sighed, stretching his arms. "The Wen Clan won't just appear and attack us. I'm sure they have better things..."

His words were suddenly cut short by a loud, ear-piercing screech. Both of them turned their attention skyward, only to lock eyes with the Wen Clan's Dire Owl, which was swooping down at them with incredible speed.

"...to do..."

Wei Wuxian laughed, and the unbidden silence hung in the air. "Ah, well, they are being led by that idiot Wen Chao... Guess we're fighting it again, Lan Zhan."

Without hesitation, Wei Wuxian produced a talisman from his sleeve, activating it and sending a long blue thread shooting towards the owl, connecting it to his wrist. Summoning all his strength, he yanked his arm back, sending the owl hurtling downward.

Lan Wangji was impressed at first, but soon he became unsettled. The Dire Owl was hurtling straight toward Wei Ying. As it drew nearer, Lan Wangji realised the dangerous trajectory it was destined to take and his arm was moving before he knew it, Bichen's blade slicing the Dire Owl cleanly in two.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, thank you, but I was about to —" Wei Wuxian slowly trailed off after noticing Lan Wangji's pink ears. "Huh? Lan Zhan, what's with that shy expression?"

"It..." Lan Wangji began, pursing his lips. "It was about to..."

"Huh? You saw my talisman, I was about to use it when it got close enough. What was it about to do?"

"It was..."

"This really isn't like you, Lan Zhan. Why are you stuttering?" Wei Wuxian said, looking up at the sky to think more clearly. "Hm, it was hurtling at me, what did you think it was about to do...?" Suddenly, he realised what Lan Zhan had seen, and why his ears were so red! "Lan Zhan, don't tell me..."

But Lan Wangji was already walking away. "Hey, Lan Zhan, I always took you for an innocent maiden, why are you having such thoughts during a fight? Do you really think so low of me?"

Lan Wangji was silent.

"Hey, why aren't you talking now? Okay, okay, thank you, great Hanguang-Jun, for saving this Wei Ying's first kiss. Happy?"

"...Your first?" Lan Wangji seemed mildly disturbed. "But you said..."

"What did I say?" said Wei Wuxian. "Hey, Lan Zhan, let me tell you, I may flirt a lot, but I really am a romantic at heart!"

"You said... You have experience."

Wei Wuxian double-took. And then his eyes bulged wide open. "AH, I FORGOT!"

Lan Wangji looked exactly the same as he did on the day Wei Wuxian found him taking out all his frustrations and anger on a tree. Back then, Wei Wuxian really did tell him he has loads of experience!

Most importantly... That strong maiden was his first kiss in his previous life... So now that he's reborn, does it still count?

Wei Wuxian nervously coughed into his fist. "Well... I... I guess I do have a little bit."

Instead of responding, Lan Wangji marched inside the Florist's Mansion, and Wei Wuxian noticed his very stiff gait as he walked. Had he made Lan Zhan uncomfortable?

"Ah, sorry Lan Zhan, wait for me," he said, stumbling in after. But Lan Wangji had stopped, and he was staring at a space in the middle of the courtyard, where a tall flower was engulfed in flames. Atop it was undoubtedly a shard of the Yin Iron.

"We found it! Wen Chao hasn't got it yet!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed happily, skipping forward towards it. "Hey, Lan Zhan, look! It's really pretty!"

When Wei Wuxian looked up, Lan Wangji was in a daze staring at him, and he assumed he was still disturbed by their previous conversation. "Mn... Really pretty."