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gentil-minou · 6 months

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Wei Ying living on the street and still celebrates his birthday because it's a month after mid autumn festival and Mama taught him how to count the days before she and Baba left…

But little A-Ying still celebrates! He makes sure to prepare every year!

(Now an expanded oneshot on Ao3 here)

This year, A-Ying prepares by keeping the mantou a kind shopkeeper gave him a week ago! He wraps it up in the cleanest cloth he can find and tucks it away in his super secret hiding place.

(It's an abandoned shed on the outskirts of the village that A-Ying sometimes shelters in)

(He can't keep the mantou in his robes otherwise the dogs will find him…the shed is safer. There are even holes in the roof to let the moonlight in!)

(He can never stay for too long, though. Baba said they would meet him at the inn so he has to go back so they can find him!)

A-Ying likes birthdays! He likes the singing and clapping and smiling, the laughter that bounces off the walls.

He likes the feeling of celebrating one person, showing them how special they are! He likes that everyone has a day that's just for them!!

A-Ying is very good at singing, so even though he's the only one singing and clapping it's still a fun day! His laughter isn't as loud as Mama's, and there's no one to smile with him, but that's okay! A-Ying likes celebrating anyway!

It's a day just for him!

This year on his birthday, A-Ying finds a nice big tree not to far from the shed, a little bit a ways from the market in the village. From this far away he can still hear the street vendors cry out to each, and he can pretend they're calling to him too.

He's gotten reaaaaally good at climbing this year, so he goes up and up and up all the way to the second branch. He perches on his throne, watching the subjects of his domain move from one spot to the next, unaware of the child giggling at their antics.

Every one of those blobs has a story, and A-Ying likes to imagine them in his head.

That mother with her daughter is shopping for a new treasure to add to their collection.

Those two men whispering together are plotting a dastardly escape from the bad guys!

The stern, intimidating cultivator in glowing white robes is preparing to save them all.

The two brothers are sneaking off on their own, seeking adventures beyond his wildest dreams.

A-Ying smiles to himself at his game. It's fun, and he likes it.

He balances the cloth bundle gingerly on his lap, leaning as securely as he can on the tree whole trying to hook a leg around the branch for safety. He unwraps the dusty grey cloth, revealing the white dough of his prized mantou.

It's not as fresh and soft as he remembered it, and the steam is all gone, but it's still his mantou!!! He doesn't even know what's in the filling, but he bets it will be delicious!

He prepares to take a bite when A-Ying hears a soft rustling of leaves and quiet sniffles.

He hooks an arm around the tree, mantou secure in his other, and peers around to see who's managed to find his hiding spot.

It's one of the brothers from earlier, the little one with hair only up to his shoulders. His face is scrunched up and angry looking, but his eyes are sad.

The boy looks around, seeming confused and…lost? The long sleeves of his pure white robes catch on sharp brambles and thickets, and he exhales sharply when they pull him back and trapped him.

The boy sends the bush a withering glare, and is about to pull his arm free.

"Wait!" A-Ying calls out before he can think otherwise. "Don't just pull!"

The boy startles and jerks back, though he keeps his arm perfectly still. Sharp eyes dart around looking for the source of the sound, before glancing up and locking onto A-Ying.

Gold. Molten like the sun above them. For a second the tree no longer feels solid beneath A-Ying.

He shakes the feeling away and tucks his mantou back into his robes, and jumps down to land in front of the boy.

His knees scream, not used to such a tall height.

He hides a wince but the boy is too taken aback to even notice in the first place, reeling away from A-Ying, looking terrified and furious.

It's so fun, A-Ying can't help the giggles from escaping as he exclaims, "Hi!"

The boy says nothing but he doesn't move, arm still caught.

"If you tug your arm out like that, you're going to rip your pretty robes!" A-Ying tells the boy, his eyes drawn to the shiny pale blue thread that winds through the white fabric in the shape of misty clouds. He almost reaches out to touch it, stopping himself at the last second.

He lifts one of his tattered sleeves, gesturing to one of its many tears. "Look, see? This is what happens when you pull too hard! It makes a hole and sometimes it cuts skin and hurts a lot."

Sure enough, the hole reveals a tiny angry red scar from when A-Ying ripped it.

The boy lets out a quiet hiss, and his expression changes to one of commiseration. He lifts his hand, letting the sleeve drop to show A-Ying a small cut on the back of his hand.

"Ouch!" A-Ying exclaims, even though the cut looks like it's been healed for a long time. "That looks bad too! Did you get hurt already? Where? Anywhere else?"

A-Ying doesn't have any soothing salve, but he can maybe wrap the white cloth around the boy’s injuries? Or maybe find a nice adult?

Luckily the boy shakes his head and speaks for the first time. "No. Ge's sword…"

The boy trails off, staring at the ground as he draws lines in the dirt. The tips of his ears bloom pink where they peek from between ebony strands of hair.

A-Ying blinks before catching on, the mirth filling him with warmth. He throws his head back in joyous laughter that grows at the boy's pretty pout.

He wipes the tears from his eyes as he asks, "You played with your brother's sword didn't you, without asking first."

The boy nods once brusquely, still stubbornly pouting at the ground. It makes A-Ying want to laugh again and he bounces with the feeling.

"Where is your brother? I saw you two earlier when I…" This time, A-Ying trails off his words catching in his throat. Heat floods his cheeks for some reason, and he suddenly feels too shy to let the boy know he'd been watching him earlier.

How odd.

The boy, however, doesn't seem to pay attention as his head darts up and devastation spreads across his face. "Ge…" he starts, his lower lip wobbling. "I can not find Ge."

His voice comes out a bit hoarse, like he's been crying. And now that A-Ying has a better angle, he can see the tears resting in the corner of the boy's eyes where he must have cried earlier.

The boy is lost…away from his family. Unsure of where they went and when he'll see them.

The thought sits heavy and hard im A-Ying's head, and his face goes blank.

But not for too long, as he lets the feeling pass over him like a wave the way Baba showed him when he was little. He takes a deep breath, and takes another step closer to the boy.

The boy gives him a wary look, but with his arm still caught there's no way for him to escape.

A-Ying gently takes his arm, keeping his movements light and easy to shake off. He gets a better look at where a branch as snagged on the boy's robes, a sharp pointy end of the stick caught on a loose thread. Then, A-Ying grabs the stick and slowly pulls it out, taking care not to loosen and more threads.

When the boy's robes are finally free, with only a few easy to fix loose threads, A-Ying hops back and presents the boy's arm with a flourish.

"There! All fixed! See, isn't that better than a nasty hole?"

The boy inspects the damage, a judicial eye moving up and down the length of his sleeve, clinical in its assessment. A-Ying has to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at the boy's serious expression.

Finally satisfied, the boy drops his arm and regards A-Ying with the same serious expression.

Again, the ground feels a little less solid beneath A-Ying's feet, like he's about to float away.

"Thank you," the boy says, gaze intense and making A-Ying twitch.

"It's not problem at all, no need for thanks! I'm happy to help! Now, let's find your brother."

He grabs the boys hand and begins to walk, when the boy pulls him back, as if still caught in the brambles. "You wish to help?" he asks, that same confused expression from earlier on his face.

"Of course! Everyone needs to find their family! It's a given!"

This time when he tugs on the boys hand, warm where his palm sildes against A-Ying's cool skin, the boy follows.

"Besides," A-Ying continues, focusing on the path ahead of them for anymore wayward branches, "When you help someone on your birthday, you get extra blessings!"

"It is your birthday?" the boy asks from wear he walks behind A-Ying.

"Yup! And my mama says we have to share our blessings with everyone on our birthday, so we can live well!"

"…Where is your mama?"

The boy's voice is quiet, like he almost regrets asking.

But that's not why A-Ying stops walking, frozen on the path.

He's tried very hard not to think about it too much this past year…but where is his mama?

Usually when he feels a gloomy cloud anchor itself to him, A-Ying ignores it and finds something fun or interesting to do. And right now, the fun and interesting thing is the pretty boy at his side with ears that turn pink and a huffy, pouty mouth.

So A-Ying focuses on that. He's very good at changing the subject.

The village market isn't too far away, but A-Ying fills the time with boisterous chatter, asking the boy about his pretty forehead ribbon and showing him the red ribbon Mama gave him ears ago, tied securely to his wrist.

He asks the boy a lot of things, but he doesn't seem like to like talking all that much.

But! He's a wonderful listener! He makes all these cute head movements and his eyes give away his feelings even when he tries so hard to keep them off the rest of his face. He nods at the right times and doesn't become bored ever!

It's been a long time since A-Ying had someone so fun to talk to, and he gets distracted telling the boy a scary story about once when he hid in a tree away from fierce and angry dogs.

In what must be uncharacteristic for the boy, he tugs on A-Ying's hand and interrupts him.

"Your birthday," he says, in that soft voice of his. A-Ying likes it a lot. "How are you celebrating it?"

A-Ying tilts his head, confused. He'd thought the answer was obvious.

"Like this, of course!" He waves their joined hands then let's them swing back and forth.

The boy frowns, deep lines forming between his brows where all his secrets must hide.

A-Ying presses the tip of his finger against those line, smoothing them out.

"No frowning on my birthday!!! It's not allowed! Only smiles!"

The boy's face turns neutral again, but the intensity in his gaze remains.

A-Ying puts on an affected pout and bends a little bit so he can peer up at the boy, though he's a bit shorter than A-Ying "Come on… give me a smile. Please? As my gift?"

All traces of a frown vanish completely and the boy wears a resolute look while his ears turn pink.

His face scrunches in concentration and slowly changes

He lifts one corner of his mouth higher than the other, a lopsided forced smile that shows a little bit of teeth. It's stiff and doesn't quite reach his eyes, but it's the cutest smile A-Ying's ever seen!

He bursts into laughter that rings around in a song, squeezing the boys hand for stability even as he almost falls over.

He can't remember the last time he was so happy.

"That's the best gift I've ever gotten! A perfect birthday smile!"

The edges of the boy's smile softens even more beautifully..

Drums beat against A-Ying's ribcage and he lifts his free hand to rest against his chest, willing the heat to dissipate from his cheeks.

He's on a mission after all, and with this gift to spurn him on he continues searching around the crowded market in search of white robes.

A-Ying hears a rumbling sound behind him. It's so similar to a dog's growl his shoulders stiffen automatically as he tenses and whimpers.

The rumbling continues and he squeezes the boy's hand preparing to run away, when the boy speaks softly to him.

"…Sorry…I did not eat.."

The fear exits A-Ying's body in a long deep exhale and he turns around to see the boy's cheeks have pinked as his hands clutch his stomach, where the grumbling sound continues.

He gives the boy a friendly smile and drags him to an alleyway just off the side street.

There, A-Ying removes his prize mantou and presents it the way a street performer might, holding his prize high in the sky.

"Ta-da! My birthday mantou! We can share!"

The mantou is difficult to split in half when it's this stale, but he manages and holds half out to the boy.

The boy hesitates before he takes the mantou, glancing between it and A-Ying as if looking for some reassurance.

A-Ying nods eagerly, gesturing for him to take a bite and lifts his half up to his lips in preparation.

The boy bites down. He stops. He chews. He stops.

His face takes on an entirely new expression that A-Ying finds utterly fascinating. He looks like he's both grateful and also wants to cry.

Strange. Maybe A-Ying's birthday mantou is extra delicious!

A-Ying takes a bite.

Immediately, he spits the morsel out onto the dusty path, trying to get rid of what must have been rotting filling encased in a dough that was too stale and hard enough to break teeth.

He looks up at the boy in horror. "No! Quick, spit it out! Spit it out before you get sick!"

Though alarmed, the boy follows, somehow showing it's possible to daintily spit into the palm in his hand and tossing the remains away.

A-Ying grimaces at the taste still lingering in his mouth. He's eaten a lot of questionable things in the past year, but he's used to it.

He'll wash his mouth out in the stream and then hope he'll find something to wash out the taste.

But he feels horrible that the boy had to eat that...He doesn't seem like the type to ever eat something so gross.

"Sorry," he whispers. He tugs on messy strands of his hair, wishing they could hide him from view.

The boy gives him a searching look, golden eyes wide.

"…No need for sorry," he replies simply. His face shifts into one of determination and this time the boy is the one to take A-Ying's hand and guide him through the market streets.

The boy stops in front of one of the bigger food stalls. The ones that sell skewered meat along with mantou and pancakes and all sorts of yummy treats. A-Ying knows this stall well because it's always very busy and sometimes people will order too much and toss their food out.

Keeping a firm hold of A-Ying's with one hand, the boy uses his other to reach into his pocket and pull out a cloth purse. The money inside clinks together and A-Ying can't help but be stunned. It's the most money A-Ying has ever seen!

He watches the boys fist close tight around his hands and follows as the boy marches towards the stall with stiff upright shoulders. He stands before the market stall, it's kind elderly proprietress smiling gently at him.

And he freezes.

A-Ying blinks and waits, wondering if the boy made a mistake perhaps.

He squeezes his hand, hoping to reassure him.

It does the trick, rousing the boy from his shock as he points at various items, gathering an assortment of meat, fresh mantou, and even sugary youtiao!

The stall's owner gives him a bemused look as she hands over everything as the boy pays for it. It's a lot, more than the boy is able to carry as he tries to pay at the same time.

A-Ying didn't think he seemed like that big of an eater, but maybe he was wrong!

The smell of warm, fresh food right in front of him makes his mouth water, and he smacks his lips together.

Finished with paying, the boy turns away with his haul. He looks behind him, as if to make sure A-Ying is following.

A-Ying runs after him, happy to follow him anywhere.

They stop at a bench a little ways away from the main thoroughfare where it's less crowded and market fades into background noise.

The boy pulls a clean white cloth from his sleeves and places it on the bench between him and A-Ying, then arranges the food with care.

One of A-Ying's legs bounces up and down uncontrollably, but he waits as patiently as he can manage.

At last, the boy nods, satisfied, and sends A-Ying a pointed look.

A-Ying blinks and points at himself. "Wait. Me first?" he asks.

The boy nods and hands a steaming mantou filled with savory meat filling whose smell nearly forms a cloud around them.

"It's your birthday," the boy says, like it should be obvious that this stranger bought A-Ying food without any thought. "This is for you."

A-Ying gasps, all the air in his lungs leaving him as he surveys the spread around him. Blood rushes to his cheeks, and he lifts his cold hands to press against them.

"This is all…for me?"

"Mn. Happy Birthday."

A-Ying beams his biggest, brightest toothy grin, watching the boy blink back at him as his ear turn that adorable pink again.

He happily takes the proffered mantou and bites down, savoring the burst of warmth and flavor that skitters across his tongue. He moans, and eats with zealous.

He hasn't had anything like this in so long! It's even better than he imagined!

Once he finishes the mantou, he takes a skewer of meat in one hand and a small pancake in the other and eats them in turn, alternating between bites. His body wiggles back and forth in a happy dance.

He's halfway through his second skewer when he notices the boy hasn't taken a bite of anything at all, even though he was the one who was hungry in the first place.

A cry of dismay escapes his throat. He hands the boy a bun filled with sweet red bean paste, waiting for the boy to start eating before resuming himself. Once the boy has taken a few small bites, A-Ying smiles once more and move on to the youtiao.

He tries to tell the boy about the time he found an entire bin filled with leftover dough and how he'd tried to eat it, but the boy gives him a reprimanding look.

"No talking while eat."

"Pfft, that's no fun. And besides, it's my birthday! Surely there are special rules for birthdays!"

The boy's expression turns skeptical, but A-Ying takes it to mean he's right after all and carries on.

By the time they've finished his birthday feast, the sun is begin its descent beneath the horizon, pinks and oranges mingling with blue skies above. The blue reminds A-Ying of the boy's robes, and he wonders if it always will. If even years later, he'll look up and think of him.

He hopes it will.

For now, he plops down from the bench, dusting his hands clean of crumbs as the boy carefully folds the cloth napkin and tucks it into his sleeves. A-Ying spares a moment to wonder what else he hides in those sleeves, before he gets back to the task at hand.

He needs to get this boy back to his family.

Surprisingly, no one has been shouting or racing around looking for him. A-Ying had assumed sticking by the market would be their best, but now he's feeling less so.

Sure enough, when he asks the boy, he tells him actually his family had been all the way on the other side of the town, far away from the market!

"Why didn't you say that earlier!?" A-Ying exclaims, already tugging the boy away.

The boy doesn't answer, his ears pink as he watches the ground. But the corner of his lips quirk up in a sly smile.

He hears that drumming noise against his chest again at the sight, and he almost feels dizzy with it. He ignores the feeling, and together the race across town before darkness falls.

Almost as soon as they turn the corner, A-Ying spots them. The mean looking cultivator from earlier, and next to him the white robed brother A-Ying had seen earlier.

The older brother looks close to tears, while the cultivator paces back and forth pulling on his beard like he's about to rip it out.

But it's all okay, because A-Ying did it. He helped find the boy's home.

He whirls around, hoping to see the relief on the boy's face, but instead the boy is watching A-Ying, something sad and even more lost pooling in that serious stare of his.

"Look, see," A-Ying says, though his tone isn't as cheery as he'd hoped. "We found them."

The boy nods, but he doesn't look at his family at all. His eyes are fixed on A-Ying.

Of all the things he could say, A-Ying doesn't expect the boy to ask him, "...Did you have a good birthday?"

A-Ying grins, warm and bright and cheeks straining to keep all the joy inside.

"Yes! It was the best birthday ever!" He pulls the boy into a hug, uncaring of his dirty robes now that he has such a wonderful friend! "Now go, your family is probably worried sick!"

The boy slowly withdraws with one hand still holding A-Ying's tattered sleeve.

"You too. Birthdays should be spent with family," the boy intones.

A-Ying doesn't answer, but he gives the boy a small, reassuring smile and sends him off. The boy walks briskly to his family at first, then breaks out into a run when his brother notices him.

He watches the tearful, happy reunion for a bit, a feeling full from more than just a filling meal. It settles happily in his chest, warm and content.

Then he turns around and heads back to his shed. By the time the boy looks back, searching for him, A-Ying is long gone.

Halfway back, as A-Ying pats his tummy and watches the lights in the houses turn on one by one giving the town a lovely glow, he realizes he never got the boy's name.

It's okay, he thinks. He has a strange feeling one day he will get to spend another birthday with the boy.

fin.

(link to threadfic here)

#happy birthday to the bestest boy #me: just something short and sweet for a-xian's bday #also me: writes 4k instead #how does this keep happening #i might just post this on ao3 as it is #it's still oct 31st where i live soooooo #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #wangxian #wei wuxian #wei ying #lan wangji #bushy writing #mdzs musings #xiantober

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only10th · 23 days

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Todays thoughts!

Wangxian meeting at the mall, single mom wwx shopping for some clothes with his little radish.

Wei Ying had gone to the mall cause he needed to buy a nice outfit for a date he did not want to go to, but of course his shijie was the one to set it up for him. Something about being time for him to put himself out there, find someone to take care of him as much as he takes care of his son. He, of course, insisted that he was fine fairing on his own. If anything, the reason why Wei Ying didn't want to date at all is more of finding someone that would put the same love and dedication to A-Yuan as he does.

And he knows, from experience, that's hard if not impossible to find.

So cut to a very stressed and distracted Wei Ying looking through clothes while his son played hide and seek in the racks of clothes. He'd been making sure to see A-Yuan popping his head out through the clothesline with a bright smile that matches his own, every so often calling out to him if he noticed he was taking too long to pop out. At least one of them was having fun. This was the third clothing store he visited, and the frustration of not finding anything remotely nice, or something that matched his style, was taking its toll. At the end, he sighs with exasperation. He'll just have to call his sister and tell her that he's sick, or something.

"A-Yuan, come out. We're leaving." There's no response, "A-Yuan, did you hear me?"

His brows dip with concern, it did get too quiet at some point. The giggling and the scraping of the hangers had come to a stop without him noticing. "Mister, if you're playing a joke on your poor A-Niang we won't get ice cream." He mumbles as he looks through the rack, moving the clothes around in mild panic. A-Yuan is nowhere to be found.

Wei Ying is practically panicking at this point, frantically searching for his son, practically yelling his name. He's on the verge of tears as he passes the rows and rows of racks and fixtures. All logic and reason are thrown out the window. There's no way.. there's no way he lost A-Yuan. He's always paid attention, always told him to stay by his side no matter what. What the hell is he going to do? The worst scenarios start crossing through his mind, but he keeps searching. A-Yuan knows to stay put if he ever gets separated from Wei Ying, he knows to not talk to strangers but he's only a toddler. Anything can happen.

“A-Yuan! Where are you?!” Wei Ying calls as he jogs through the store.

~~~~

Cut to A-Yuan staring wide eye at a tall guy with honey eyes. They're both having a staring contest at this point. That’s not his A-Nian, A-Yuan thinks to himself.

"Hello?" Lan Zhan says with caution. When did this child get here?

The child pursed his lips, slowly retreating into the rack with blue sweaters he was browsing through. "I-I’m not supposed to talk to strangers."

Lan Zhan blinks, staying quiet before nodding in approval. The toddler's parents are smart. He should probably alert security, he looks around in search of security or a staff member. As soon as he spots someone, he starts to walk away to try and get their attention but a small hand takes a tight grip on his light cream trousers.

"W-Wait! Mister— My a-niang told me to stay put if I ever get separated... A-niang will find me soon. Please, don't go."

Scared pleading eyes stare at him, the man seems to think through it for a moment. The smart thing to do would be to report the missing child. But at the same time, he's not sure how he would handle the situation if the toddler were to start crying.

"Alright.” He agrees with a nod. Though, the toddler doesn't let go of his trousers for a moment. At least he looks somewhat more calm. "We'll wait for your mother together."

Not a moment later, Wei Ying runs past them, yelling A-Yuan's name. At first, Lan Zhan looks at him with confusion. The child didn't say anything about his dad looking for him, so instinctively he shields and conceals the toddler. You can never be too safe, he knows people can put any sort of act just to take a child away. However, the toddler scrambled past Lan Zhan's legs and shouts, “A-Niang!"

Wei Ying skids to a stop, whipping his head towards the sound of his son's voice. Relief floods through his body as he falls to his knees and hugs his toddler, so glad that he's safe and sound. At first he doesn't notice the man who had stayed with his son because he's too busy peppering kisses to A-Yuan's chubby cheeks and mumbling "Don't ever scare me like that again!" And “We've talked about this, don't leave my side."

While this exchange is happening, Lan Zhan Is just thinking. The man... that drop dead gorgeous man was the toddler's mother?

A-Yuan clings to Wei Ying's neck, rubbing his face on his cheek, “A-Yuan is sorry, A-niang. Please don't be mad."

The puppy eyes win Wei Ying over and he can't be mad anymore. Silver eyes quickly scan his child, making sure there’s no injuries. He hugs his little radish once more, only then is when he notices the man watching the whole scene, and he can tell he's kinda not knowing what to do with himself.

"Um... can I help you?" Wei Ying asks a little defensive while hugging his son closer.

Before the man can utter an answer, A-Yuan beams with excitement. “That gege helped A-Yuan wait for A-niang!"

“Oh. Is that so?" He says, silver eyes softening and shoulders letting the tension leave.

"Mn. My name is Lan Zhan." He introduced himself and woah, how could Wei Ying not notice how handsome this man was.

“Thank you, Lan Zhan, for keeping an eye on my son. I really don't know how to repay you…”

"A-niang, is this the gege you're meeting later?" The toddler looked at Lan Zhan with hopeful eyes. "Gege taking my a-niang to dinner?"

Wei Ying quickly gets all embarrassed, cheeks flushed red like the ribbon holding his long hair in a ponytail. “Aiya, aiya! Stop bothering the nice gege! I'm sure he has many things to do."

"But!” A-Yuan begins to protest with a pout.

"No buts." Wei Ying picks A-Yuan in his arms, letting some of his weight rest on his hip. Silver eyes meet honey ones. “Thank you, again. I-I gotta get going."

And Lan Zhan can only watch the pair walking away, saying something about "I told you to call me a-niang at home and baba out here." And "I'm never leaving you out of my sight again. You gave me a heart attack.”

He’s sure he hears the child, A-Yuan, mumble “But I like that gege…”

Lan Zhan turns around, shaking his head before continuing his shopping. His chest aches a bit cause he just met the most beautiful man he has ever laid eyes on... It's childish, but he can't help but quietly sulk because he was in fact thinking of asking him out but... it looks like someone had beaten him to it. Wait, he didn't even get his name. He sulks even more.

~~~~~

Back in Wei Ying's home, he was getting ready for his date. It shouldn't be too late to cancel, right?

“You look dashing!” His sister compliments with a soft clap. “Come now, don’t make that face.”

“Jie, I don’t know this man… What if he doesn’t like A-Yuan? What if he’s secretly an asshole?” Anxiety was clear in his voice, though it was quickly soothed when Jiang Yanli walked over and fixed the collar of his burgundy button up.

“You doubt your A-Jie will pick a good man for you?” She teases with a thin eyebrow raising in question.

“Not you… I don’t trust A-Sang.” He side-eyes his friend, who is sitting on the couch making faces to his baby nephew. “Are you sure it’s not too late to cancel?”

“A-Ying, you need this. I promise it’ll be good for you.” His sister reassures, gently patting his shoulders. She smiles softly at her younger brother. “I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.” He reassures her

She chuckles, patting the top of his hand. “You know what I mean. YingYing, are you sure you don’t want me to watch over A-Yuan?”

“Nuh-huh, if I’m meeting this guy then he’s meeting a-yuan too. If he doesn’t love him then I won’t even give him a chance!”

“A-Ying.”

“I’ve made up my mind, Jie. Now, tell me A-Yuan doesn’t look like the most adorable gentleman you’ve ever seen.” Wei Ying coos as his son walks into the living room wearing a t-shirt with the print of a tuxedo. He picks him up and peppers his cheeks with many kisses.

Soon, they’re both arriving at the restaurant. At least the guy he’s meeting has good taste. Before they step in, Wei Ying sets down his son, going through the motions of fixing his clothes. “If you don’t like the guy, we’ll leave as soon as you want, okay? No one can pull my attention from my little radish.”

A-Yuan nods, and with that they both walked into the bustling restaurant. Wei Ying couldn’t help but to feel irritated at bit his sister and best friend. What the hell did Nei Huaisang mean that I’ll know when I see him? Would’ve been better if he just showed me a picture. He thinks to himself while rolling his eyes. Though, he couldn’t deny he was extremely nervous to meet this mystery guy that he had been set up with.

“A-Niang, look! It’s the nice gege from earlier!”

Wei Ying is quick to follow his son’s line of sight, and there he was. Lan Zhan sat at a tsks closer to the window, dressed up in a light blue suit with a light cream shirt. He knew Lan Zhan was handsome, but to see him in a suit? How the sleeves seemed hug his arms just tight enough to let you know the man works out. Before he knew it, Wei Ying was being tugged towards Lan Zhan’s table. “Hey, hey! Baobei let’s not bother the nice gege, he’s probably waiting for someone.” He tried to whisper, tugging his son the other way but they were already spotted.

“Gege! Hi gege!” A-Yuan chimes as Lan Zhan stands from his chair. Was he always this tall?

“Hi, Lan Zhan. What a coincidence! A-Are you here by yourself, or…”

He can see golden eyes scanning him up and down before landing back on his face. He can’t help but shift in place at the intensity of Lan Zhan’s gaze. “I am waiting for someone.” Lan Zhan responds quietly, gaze still on Wei Ying.

“Oh… Me too!” He’s quick to add before chuckling, “Well, you already knew that… A-Are you waiting for a date?”

Lan Zhan seems to consider his answer, and Wei Ying can’t help but to find it amusing at how deflated and defeated the other looks when he responds with a quiet “Yes.”

Wei Ying laughs once more, “Not really looking forward to it? I get it, my sister and best friend set me up for mine. I don’t even know who I’m supposed to meet! Can you believe they refused to give me his name? Or even show me a picture? They really took the definition of ‘blind date’ way too serious.”

Lan Zhan stares at him wide eye, and for a moment Wei Ying thinks he said something wrong. “No offense to whoever you’re meeting, of course! I bet they’re—“

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan takes a step closer towards him, but he doesn’t see himself taking a step back.

Brows furrow, “Yeah? Do… Do I have something on my face?”

“I’m meeting with Wei Ying… You are Wei Ying.”

The father can only look at the other in bewilderment, was… was Lan Zhan his blind date? No, this was to good to be true. A guy like Lan Zhan… he could have anyone, the man looked like a god! “Who set you up?” He decided to ask, if he’s says ut was Nei Huaisang then he really was having a date with Lan Zhan. There were no other Wei Ying’s around, not that he knows of.

Wei Ying can tell Lan Zhan is having the same train of thought. “My brother… He was convinced by a family friend that I should… attempt to meet new people.”

“Was it Nie Huaisang? Oh my god! That asshole set everything up!” Wei Ying exclaims once Lan Zhan confirms his suspicions, hands brushing the already messy bangs from his face, a loud laugh echoing through the restaurant. He winced, tho, when people enjoying their food shoot a glare at him. “I can’t believe this…Wait, if you knew my name, why didn’t you say anything earlier.”

Lan Zhan pressed his lips together before answering. “You did not give me your name.”

“Oh— I… Huh, I was really distracted. It would’ve made things easier for the both of us, huh?” Wei Ying smiles at him. “Well… mind if we join you, then? My treat, since you were my hero earlier and I must repay your kindness and patience!”

“Are we having dinner with the nice gege??” A-Yuan suddenly chimes, wide eyes darting between the two adults. Wei Ying smiles as he ruffles his hair.

“We sure are!”

“I knew it! The Nice gege is taking my a-niang for dinner!” The toddler soon clings to Lan Zhan’s leg, which caught him off guard.

“Aiya, A-Yuan! Where are your manners?” Wei Ying chides playfully, attempting to pull his son back to his side.

“I do not mind.” Lan Zhan responds with a smile ghosting over his lips.

The three of them sit at the table. Wei Ying talks away about anything and everything, and Lan Zhan pays full attention to every single word, attention unflinching. It especially melts his heart when Lan Zhan gives the same type of attention to A-Yuan, listening with much seriousness to all the stories he has to tell. He looks at both of them with so much fondness that he feels his heart bursting at the seams. Yeah… it was good he decided to not cancel the date.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei ying #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan zhan #wangxian #modern au #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wen yuan #a-yuan #my writing #this was supposed to be short thing and it turned into a 2k fic sjsndjend

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mamoonde · 25 days

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i really really really love the idea of wei wuxian revolutionizing modern cultivation over breakfast and conceptualizing these different theories simultaneously because the adhd brain has no brakes and the only reason it took him a decade to publish all these ideas was because he could not stick to a single train of thought long enough to finish (verbalizing) it, let alone put it down on paper coherently.

the only reason he even got to publishing them eventually (and enrolling to cultivation theory grad program to get on that track) was because one morning, his undergrad thesis advisor, lan qiren, finally got fed up and sat him down for an early morning progress check-in because it was midterm season and wei wuxian still hadn't decided on a topic.

wei wuxian, fueled by an unhealthy amount of redbull and three all-nighters, finally word vomits all his 'convoluted' ideas which he'd thought were uselessly obvious and redundant (because he's gone over these like a bajillion times, it's very plain-as-day to him, so he probably just hasn't read the articles that say these exact things).

lan qiren, teacup frozen halfway to his mouth: ...first of all, i only understood half of how you got to these conclusions, which only means they are indeed too convoluted and will need to be pared down; secondly: you have never mentioned any of these ideas before. why.

wei wuxian: oh. haven't i? oh well, i just thought, xyz, because, obviously, abcde. which is really what the 2 centuries old law on ghjkl was alluding to, right? and so, logically, xyz.

lan qiren: [mind blown, screaming, good gods this is the same child who's always tardy and spent freshman year pulling on the metaphorical pigtails of my straight-laced nephew?!?!??!??!?!] ..again, why...how have you never even spoken or submitted these ideas?

wei wuxian: because!!! they're so obvious!! surely, it's been published somewhere already? i can't be the only one to connect these dots, surely??

lan qiren: incredibly, you are. no one else has even thought to question tradition nor pursued more thoughts on the law of ghjkl, with half as much...sound arguments as you seem to have. in the past century, the focus of modern cultivation has tended towards practical uses and tools, some fine-tuning, perhaps. not entirely new theories.

wei wuxian: huh....

lan qiren, sighing, feeling a migraine: your problem with your thesis is not a lack of focus or ingenuity, but likely to be more a lack of recent, evidentiary sources. you will need to become very familiar with the university archives and dig deep for sources that will back up every argument you make.

he jots down notes on a paper. "you will also need to strictly adhere to the structure and methodology of these articles, especially given how radical your thesis will be. if you are diligent enough, you may just be able to submit your thesis without too much of a delay." he slides the list of materials to a gaping wei wuxian. "depending on your output then, we can discuss the possibility of submitting this for peer review."

"peer review." wei wuxian repeats. "as in, that thing where some uppity committee of old coots put their stamp of approval for it to become the reading materials of undergrads like me. you're joking."

lan qiren chooses to ignore the sentiment about peer review committees being uppity old coots, especially considering how he can't completely deny it on account of some of his colleagues, but also as a member said peer review committee, he isn't exactly pleased about being lumped in the same category.

wei wuxian backtracks at his unamused look. "right, you're not joking, of course you're not." he slowly inches the list towards himself. "right, yes, i guess i'll uh, get to it then. ok bye."

----

idk, just, waves hand at wei wuxian candidly explaining new modern cultivation theories over cheerios at 2 in the afternoon to lwj who's trying to help him structure his grad thesis, getting mind blow dick hard at how this messy genius who's talking with his mouth full of half eaten cereal is the object of his affection....

wwx: --oh, oops, your highlighter fell

lwj: mn

wwx: ...aren't you gonna get that?

lwj: it's fine; i'll pick it up later. finish your thought.

wwx: right... i'll pick it up for you!

lwj, fighting for his life, trying to think unsexy thoughts: NO! sit. finish your meal, and then your thought.

#big brain wei wuxian #wei wuxian #genius wwx #in an interview for modern cultivation magazine he's asked: how do you do it?#wwx: adhd!#also a dedicated partner who tolerates your midnight rambling about spiritual energy and entertains your endless what ifs scenarios #bonus points if your partner is lwj who has amazing notetaking skills and a phd in decoding wei wuxian notes #wangxian #mdzs #modern cultivation au #also i love a supportive mentor lqr dont you #a mellowed out lqr who has a little more tolerance for radical ways of thought as long as theyre rooted in morality and good will #mamoonde short fics

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robininthelabyrinth · 10 months

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Wen Chao kills Wei Wuxian at the Wen Indoctrination camp to intimidate the heirs of the clans.

💢

ao3

Untamed

“You know they all think you’re dead,” Meng Yao said. He’d come to check on the status of the latest nightmare torture machine that Wen Ruohan had ordered to be made.

“I know,” Wei Wuxian said, his lips pressed tightly together. He was fiddling with the machine, which really only needed a few minor adjustments to do what Wen Ruohan wanted it to, adjustments that he’d managed to drag on for nearly a month and a half without making, and both he and Meng Yao knew it, and knew that the other one knew that they knew. The fact that Meng Yao hadn’t told anyone was the only reason Wei Wuxian was bothering to have this conversation with him now. “That was made painfully clear early on, thanks.”

Normally his viciously bitter tone was enough to convince people to stop asking.

Meng Yao wasn’t exactly what one would call normal, though.

“How’d he manage it?” Meng Yao asked, and Wei Wuxian looked up at him with a glare. “Wen Chao. He’s too stupid to actually manage to fake someone’s death properly – he’s the sort of person who’d mess up breathing if it didn’t happen naturally. How’d he manage to do it with you without actually killing you in the process?”

Wei Wuxian’s smile was ghastly.

“Stupid question,” he said. “You should know better than to make such a mistake.”

“Mistake? What mistake?”

“The mistake you made,” Wei Wuxian said gently, “was assuming he didn’t kill me.”

“I saw Wei Ying.”

If it had been anyone else, Jiang Cheng would have screamed at them. He would have pulled his sword and tried to stab them, and, lacking that, he would have gone at them with his bare hands, to try to punch them or strangle them until they stopped, one way or another.

But this wasn't anybody, it was Lan Wangji.

Other people had commented, usually sourly, that Jiang Cheng had grown closer to Lan Wangji during the war. They were usually trying to imply that he'd sought to replace one shixiong with another, and from another sect to boot, more than likely trying to capitalize on Jiang Fengmian’s sorrow and anger upon hearing Jiang Cheng's dull report of Wei Wuxian’s death at the hands of Wen Chao, perhaps the only thing that could have moved that otherwise peaceable and easy-going man to militancy. The implication was as wrong as it was filthy, of course - no one could replace Wei Wuxian, not in a million years - but there was some truth to the fact that Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji were better friends now than they had ever been before.

In fact, Jiang Cheng would go so far as to say that there was no one on earth who knew Lan Wangji better than him, possibly even above his own brother and uncle. After all, they had not been the ones that had been there when Lan Wangji had seen – when he had witnessed – when they had both witnessed…

Jiang Cheng thought sometimes that it had been the depth of Lan Wangji’s wild and terrible grief that had allowed him to survive Wei Wuxian’s death. That Jiang Cheng would have let it break him, shatter his mind along with his heart, only that Lan Wangji was a little quicker than he down that path, and Jiang Cheng was a man born overly responsible; he couldn't shatter as long as there was someone who needed him to stay strong. And Lan Wangji, who had already seen his home burn, his brother vanished, his father killed, his uncle tortured, and now his secret beloved murdered right before his eyes...he'd needed Jiang Cheng. He'd needed the only other person, excepting only Jiang Yanli, that felt the same thing he felt, the only other one who truly and unreservedly loved Wei Wuxian.

Even though Lan Wangji had never confessed his feelings, never said anything until the moment he'd unburdened his heart too late, Jiang Cheng the only one listening or able to listen, he had still suffered, and in so suffering, he gave Jiang Cheng the same feeling back - the knowledge that there was someone else out there that understood the enormity of what they'd lost in a way that no one, excepting again only the distant Jiang Yanli, would or could.

Because it was Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng didn't attack.

Physically, anyway.

"Have you started having delusions?" he demanded irritably. "If so, stop it: we have a war to fight, so there's no time. You want to lose your mind, do it after we're done."

"I saw him," Lan Wangji insisted.

"You saw him die, too," Jiang Cheng snapped, voice tight. "Remember that? You and me, we were both there. We saw what Wen Chao did to him. We saw what he did with the corpse, after. There's no way he's still alive."

"I know."

"Good, I'm glad that you know! Then what's this nonsense about?"

"I saw Wei Ying," Lan Wangji said. "I saw him alive and whole, though not the same as he once was. I cannot explain it, but I would not have mistaken him."

That was true. Anyone else, maybe. But not Lan Wangji, who had loved him.

"How can it be?"

Silence.

Jiang Cheng pursed his lips. It was probably just a delusion, or maybe some sort of newfangled trap that personalized itself to each person. Something like Wen Chao’s stupid owl with its confusing fog, only more pointed. Of course, if it was that, then it was a threat that needed to be stopped, needed to be hunted down and eliminated by the two best hunters the Sunshot Campaign had…

That was the only reason he was thinking of agreeing. The only reason.

It definitely wasn't because his heart had seized up, filled with impossible hope.

Attempt the impossible.

"I'll get permission for us to track the rumor down," Jiang Cheng said gruffly, and Lan Wangji nodded, his shoulders relaxing a little in silent gratitude. "We leave tomorrow."

“No, Meng Yao’s right. I’m pretty sure that rock is the only thing keeping me here,” Wei Wuxian said. “Destroy it.”

Nie Mingjue glanced back and forth from his traitorous former deputy to the man whose supposed death (real death, he supposed) had been the initiating factor to kick off the Sunshot Campaign in a way even the burning of the Cloud Recesses hadn’t been. Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji had recently grown obsessed with Wei Wuxian, meaning more than the usual amount – they swore up and down that they’d seen him, or possibly his ghost, or something like that – and while he hadn’t exactly disbelieved them, since who even knew these days, he hadn’t actually expected to meet the man in the living flesh.

Possibly non-living flesh.

Yin Metal possessed flesh?

“You can’t destroy it,” Meng Yao argued, and even though he was speaking to Nie Mingjue he was glaring indignantly at Wei Wuxian. He looked actually passionate, for once, and not in the way he had before, when Nie Mingjue had thought he was passionate about things like saving lives and the welfare of the common people; this was less beautiful, but more real. He was grimacing, his face twisted and ugly in a way he’d never before permitted it to be. “If you do, he will die, and die permanently!”

“That’s what people generally do, I think you’ll find,” Wei Wuxian said with a laugh that was mostly fake. “Meng Yao, I don’t know how many times I need to remind you: I’m already dead. That Wen Ruohan resurrected me through some sort of bizarre sorcery based on some stupid rock he found, probably out of morbid curiosity as to what he could do with it, doesn’t mean that I’m meant to be here.”

“But –”

“Meng Yao, you know better than most how awful he is, how terrible it would be if someone as insane as that actually achieved all that he wished to achieve! Wen Ruohan can’t be allowed to succeed in any of his aims. We have to destroy the Yin Metal. That I die is of no matter –”

“Wen Ruohan is a master of arrays,” Nie Mingjue interrupted, and they both looked at him. “His power is not based on a rock, no matter how unorthodox or interesting. Defeating him and destroying the rock – er, the Yin Metal – are unrelated, and the latter is certainly not a prerequisite to the former.”

Wei Wuxian looked taken aback. “What?”

“You’re confusing correlation with causation,” Nie Mingjue said, and shrugged. “That he started playing around with this…rock, this Yin Metal, whatever it is, doesn’t mean that it’s responsible for why he is the way he is, or even why he’s as powerful as he is. He would come to the Unclean Realm quite often when I was a child, and he was pretty different back then…anyway, my point is, can we stop talking about the rock and focus on killing him instead?”

“Looks like your horrible self-sacrifice is just going to have to wait,” Meng Yao told Wei Wuxian, looking especially smug in the face of Wei Wuxian’s gaping disbelief. “Too bad.”

Nie Mingjue hated that he liked Meng Yao better this way.

“Killing now, debate later,” he said, deciding to think about that at another time. “Understood?”

Not that they would have time to debate later, if he played his cards right. As soon as they found out about it, Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji were going to make absolutely sure that whatever the rock was that was keeping Wei Wuxian alive – and despite what he said, Nie Mingjue thought he was in fact still alive, if only by the barest thread – was explored in full, no matter what.

None of them were going to let him go that easily.

#mdzs #wei wuxian #jin guangyao #jiang cheng #lan wangi #nie mingjue #my fic #my fics #just assume the yin metal was actually kept as a secret by the Lan sect #short

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fistfuloflightning · 5 months

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It’s be a shame if you tripped up now, shidi.

Archery, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian prompt from @unforth :)

#mdzs #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #mdzs art #my art #art prompt #and yes #in my head og!wwx was a tall beanpole before his twinkification via mo xuanyu #and jc is a short king #can’t really tell here tho #but the height dif is more apparent in my head

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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 5 months

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MDZS Height Poll: Who is (technically) the tallest character. Please remember that these polls are for fun!

#mdzs #poll #Please remember that I WILL see notes and comments and reblogs. Let's have fun with this clearly very silly poll!#I am begging everyone to be nice. We can get icecream afterwards if we all behave.#Propaganda is welcome if you dare take up the bat to swing at the hornet's nest.#As always - I will have a little comic at the end of this poll based on the results!!!#I'm so tempted to sway votes but the beauty is in the community response. You guys always surprise me!#Will the winner be based on technicality? WHO'S technicality? So many choices!#NHS and JGY are a big mood for being 'tall' but labeled short due to being surrounded by 'very tall' people.#Shout out to my little cousin who's a natural 6'1"and STILL wears the 6 inch heels. That's feminism.#I wanted to have the next poll be 'who's in the middle of the bed in the 3zun relationship' but I need to draw for that one.#it's been a rough week for me. Comic resumes tomorrow though - I just have not been home to upload anything via scanner.#I'm alright I promise B'*) Just a chaotic lifestyle. Hope you have all been well <3

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krispycreamsicle · 1 year

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Jiang Cheng smiling

#jiang cheng #theuntameddaily #mxtxnet #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #cql #mdzs #*my gifs #happy birthday grape!!!#i wanted to do something bigger for his birthday but i had no time :(#but! i never did a [character] smiling gifset of him so i figured i at least had time for that #poor jc with his birthday right after wwx. he's getting the short end of the stick even in fandom kjhgfg

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wangxianficrecs · 3 months

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Inter-Sect Politics for the Absolute Beginner by Elpie (Horribibble)

Inter-Sect Politics for the Absolute Beginner

by Elpie (Horribibble) (@elpiething)

M, 3k, Wangxian

Summary: Today, with a formal missive from Koi Tower in hand and Zonghui staring at him with open concern, Nie Mingjue throws his head back and laughs and knows that no request will ever bring him such joy: Sect Leader Jin Guangshan has been brutally assaulted and, due to a conflict of interest, the Jin sect begs the assistance of the Honorable Sect Leader Nie Mingjue in the search for justice. - Wei Ying was raised in a brothel in Yunping, and Sect Leader Jin is having a very bad day. Kay's comments: Incredibly funny! Had me grinning the entire time. AU where Meng Shi was the one who found Wei Ying and took him in, offering him a home in the brothel. So, he grew up alongside Meng Yao and one day, when Jin Guangshan visits the brothel, Wei Ying is not going to stand by and look as his adopted family gets mistreated. Rest in pieces, Jin Guangshan's nuts. Excerpt: Without missing a beat, the young man laden in silks and ornaments and the almost tangible love of every courtesan in the room laden upon him like so much armor looks Sect Leader Jin dead in the eye and says, “A shitty lover, an angry drunk, but most of all an asshole.” Personally, Mingjue could not have asked for more. Except, perhaps, to borrow one of Huaisang’s fans to hide his face. “Young master,” Lan Xichen speaks up, ever the voice of gentle reason. “This is perhaps not the best defense…” For a moment, the youth stills, blinking at the elder jade, surprised by the sound of genuine concern. But then he takes a deep breath and plants his hands on his hips, clearly not having any of it. “It’s the truth.” He levels his gaze, once more, upon the gilded pervert. “You’ve got twenty kids at least, including A-Yao, so I know you know how a brothel works. You’re not new. If you’re coming into our houses to be a rotten bastard, you should just leave.” The only other man among the courtesans glaring death upon Jin Guangshan, has the spine to call, “Ying’er.” But Nie Mingjue suspects very little has ever deterred this man, least of all being called little baby.

pov wei wuxian, pov nie mingjue, canon divergence, canon era, wei wuxian isn't adopted by the jiangs, non-yunmeng wei wuxian, courtesan wei wuxian, brothels, bamf wei wuxian, jin guangshan being an asshole, justice, families of choice, crack treated seriously, humor, different first meeting

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

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lanwangjihouse · 7 months

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#dear ladies and gentlemen #here we can see wwx's bare knees and black basketball shorts under his robe #( through a thin fabric)#do you see this?#basketball shorts instead of pants is what causes my constant delight #the untamed #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #xiao zhan #wang yibo #cql #mdzs

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layzeal · 3 months

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Dr. Lace, as a practicing Lan Wangjiologist, why do you think Lan Wangji waited until the end of the novel to tell Wei Wuxian about A-Yuan surviving? Like, in universe, because while I think the real answer is that the twist plays out better at the end of the story, it’s more fun to guess why Lan Wangji kept quiet.

"Dr. Lace" and "Lan Wangjiologist" made me laugh for like two days straight. well done anon. well done sjdhfkjsdhlfkdsjf

but you've actually caught me on something that i don't know if i have a true answer!! i mean, as you said there is the obvious reason of it just working a lot better from a storytelling point of view.

us readers don't really learn about a-yuan existence until wwx mentions it the first time as they're hanging out in yiling before climbing the burial mounds, then there's a flashback where we met the wen remnants, they die, wwx is killed, and immediately after we return, we get the blood poll scene, which also immediately reveals to us that the little boy we met is actually now the BIG boy we've fallen in love with a long time ago! we care about lan sizhui long before we even know that he was relevant in wangxian's life before that. "what happened to a-yuan" isn't a looming question that follows us or the characters throughout the story, because a-yuan only comes up quite late in the plot. mxtx wasn't going for a shocking plot twist with that reveal, but merely using him as another piece in the story's theme. we love lan sizhui before we even know he's a-yuan, and knowing that he's now only alive BECAUSE wwx sacrificied all he did to save the wen remnants, even if he "failed" shows us the human side of how worth it was.

but of course that doesn't come without its foreshadowing. note that i don't subscribe to the "wangxian are a-yuan's parents" or "lan sizhui secretly calls lwj 'baba/fuqin'" headcanon (although u can always argue that 一日为师，终身为父 but that's for another day lmao), i find their relationship has a lot more nuance and honestly more depth than that of a nuclear family. we see how he and lan wangji seem to be much closer compared to other juniors (ie hgj personally teaches him the qin language, gives him books that other lan disciples seem to not have access to, etc) and while that is curious, it's not out of place for lwj to have a particular student he wants to train more closely. lan sizhui clearly deserves it! however, once it is revealed just how much sizhui means to lwj, as well as how he gave him both his new "birth" name and his courtesy name, as well as why he'd want sizhui to be under his protection and teaching, it all clicks!

but again, it's simply not a major focus within the plot.

ok cool lace, that still doesn't answer why lan wangji doesn't bring that up in-universe. and you're right! i'm quite fond of tangents

but seriously, i do think that's part of it as well. just like how the question of "what happened to a-yuan" doesn't follow us around the story, that's the same for our main characters. wei wuxian has long been convinced that a-yuan died alongside the wen remnants, so he doesn't ask because he's allergic to reminiscing anything about the past. for lan wangji, lan sizhui is safe (and still amnesiac), and wei ying is back to life, there are a thousand other things they need to focus on before bringing all of that up. and lan wangji is nothing if not focused on fixing the most important tasks at hand, matters of the past can be talked about later unless relevant (it's no wonder that all of lwj's backstroy is revealed to us by the narrator or a different character, after all).

but most of all, i think lan wangji didn't bring it up because he simply did not know how to tackle the subject of the first siege, wwx's death, or the wen remnants with him. it's understandably a very sensitive subject, and lan wangji did not wish to overstep his boundaries by bringing it up when wwx wasn't ready to. again, he's a man of priorities, and he wouldn't risk breaking the scab off the wound unless it was necessary, or wwx did it first.

from those lens, it's no question why he only seemed to consider revealing a-yuan's identity after the second siege, not only because wwx has finally had closure on the death of the wens, but because lan sizhui himself is starting to piece things together, though it is also not something that should be forced. however, after the second siege, things really begin speeding up again, and between wwx watching the wens fade away and having a fight with jiang cheng, he's is clearly both physically and emotionally drained all the way until they get freaky in the bathtub, where things get even WORSE, and then guanyin temple happens which just... yeah. there was enough telenovela drama for one night.

so, once all of that is finally over, and lwj sees sizhui analyze chenqing with a clear sense of reminiscing, lwj finally settles it that he will reveal it. they're not in a hurry, wwx is finally doing okay, closure has been achieved in multiple things, and there are no other priorities at hand.

except that! he doesn't even need to. because sizhui catches up does it for him. and isn't that even more fitting?

but really, since i received this ask i have been thinking to myself "at what other time would lan wangji have revealed a-yuan's identity? and why?" and i just... keep hitting a wall. because revealing extremely charged emotional subjects to a beloved person who has never brought it up to you, about another person who doesn't even know or remember it, it's simply not lan wangji's character. wei ying is alive and safe, a-yuan is alive and safe, tearful revelations can come later, but right now lan wangji needs to ensure that they'll continue that way.

#sorry it took me so long to answer!!#i was originally gonna play along with the joke and write it in short paper format #but i. didn't want to #i will NOT be academic about wangxian. screw proper punctuation #thanks for the ask!!! this was lots of fun!#modao #lace speaks #mdzs

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