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Chapter Text

“Shut up!” Jiang Cheng shoved him hard, roaring, “Why?!”

Wei WuXian was pushed into the bushes. Jiang Cheng threw himself over. He grabbed Wei WuXian’s collar and shook, “Why?! Why?! Just why?! Are you happy?! Are you satisfied?!”

He clenched Wei WuXian’s neck, eyes bloodshot, “Why did you save Lan WangJi?!”

Under the grief and the fury, Jiang Cheng had lost his mind. He couldn’t control the strength that he used at all. Wei WuXian pulled at his wrist, “Jiang Cheng…”

Holding him on the ground, Jiang Cheng continued to roar, “Why did you save Lan WangJi?! Why did you have to speak up?! How many times have I told you not to stir up trouble! Not to strike! Do you really want to play the hero so much?! Have you seen what happened when you played the hero?! Huh?! Are you happy now?! Lan WangJi and Jin ZiXuan and those people can just die! Just let them die! What’s their deaths got to do with us?! To do with our sect?! Why did this have to happen?! Why?!” 

“Go die, go die, go die! Everyone!!!”

Wei WuXian’s face had turned red. He shouted, “Jiang Cheng!!!”

The sound of a crack slipped through the space between them, Wei Wuxian’s eyes dilating as he stared up. 

Jiang Cheng glowered at him. Tears rolled down his cheeks. The depths of his throat let out a cry of dying man, a painful sob.

He spoke through tears, “… I want my parents, my parents…”

As Jiang Cheng pulled back, sobbing into his hands, he didn’t see the damage he had done - the way Wei Wuxian was laying on the ground, unresponsive, eyes bloodshot, blood trailing down the side of his face. 

The rain poured down around them, drowning out Jiang Cheng’s sobs, drowning out the painful attempts at gasping for air that came from Wei Wuxian, drowning out the moment his body gave up, the moment his heart stopped. 

Jiang Cheng managed to stop crying almost half an hour later, his tears turning to anger, and he turned around to yell at Wei Wuxian for what he had done - for grabbing the Wen’s attention, for being the reason they came to Lotus Pier, for being the reason his parents were dead. 

He froze. 

Wei Wuxian’s lips were blue, his eyes were bloodshot, barely open, glazed over. His chest didn’t rise, he wasn’t moving at all the more Jiang Cheng looked at him. Bruises formed over the entire span of his neck, clearly in the shape of the hands that had strangled him. Deep, dark purple bruises were covering his neck, leaving barely any skin untouched. 

Jiang Cheng panicked, but only for a moment, before he reached over and slapped Wei Wuxian, watching as Wei Wuxian’s face turned over at the force. 

“Wake up! Stop acting dead! You can’t pretend your way out of this!” he screamed, pounding a hand on his chest. 

It took Jiang Cheng a few moments to realize Wei Wuxian hadn’t reacted at all to either of his hits - that’s when the severity of it all set in. 

He wasn’t trained in healing, he barely knew how to wrap his own injuries - that’s what Wei Wuxian and the other disciples were there for, he didn’t need to know such menial things about healing when others knew them - but he did know how to detect a heartbeat. 

Slowly, Jiang Cheng placed a hand against Wei Wuxian’s neck, below his jaw, reaching for the veins and arteries that always beat in time with one’s heart. 

He pulled his hand back like he had been burnt - his eyes going wide, darting around the marsh that they had found themselves in. 

Wei Wuxian was dead, he had killed him.

No one could find out, no one could know what he had done - what Wei Wuxian had deserved, if he was honest with himself. 

Other people wouldn’t see it as he did, as a punishment from Clan Leader to disciple. As a punishment given to a traitor, someone who had been the reason an entire clan had been wiped out. No one would see Wei Wuxian’s death for what it was, what it should have been. 

Deserving. Coming. Something he should have knelt down and accepted, taken his sword to his neck and done it himself.

No, no one could find out Wei Wuxian was dead. It would give him more prestige, more people bemoaning that a life had been lost too soon, that how could Jiang Cheng ever succeed without his precious shi-xiong by his side. 

He would have to watch his A-Jie grieve him, burn incense, wear white because of him and not for their parents. He would have to listen to her cry, reminisce over memories of her precious A-Xian, it made Jiang Cheng want to puke thinking about it. 

A thought came to him as he scanned his surroundings, as he looked at just where they were, how far from Lotus Pier they had managed to run in the time between being tied up in a boat. 

His eyes narrowed on sharp peaks in the distance, a growing miasma in the air, an overall sense of dread that made everything turn back before it got too far. 

Perfect, Jiang Cheng thought, hoisting Wei Wuxian’s limp, stiffening body over his shoulder and walking away from the direction of Lotus Pier, of the village they had passed, places where there were people who could see what he was going to do, people who could stop him from doing what Wei Wuxian deserved. 

For everything that had been taken from the Jiang Clan, for being the one his father favored, for being the one people flocked to, for being the one people respected, the one people liked, the one people spoke to. For every moment he spent cultivating his core that was only possible because of the Jiang Clan, for the food he ate, the water he drank, the trips though the markets where he didn’t have to pay a thing. 

No, Wei Wuxian deserved to be remembered as the one who left him. The one who abandoned his post after the clan he belonged to was slaughtered because of him. The one who ran off, never to be seen, too ashamed of his actions to show his face. 

Wei Wuxian would be remembered as a traitor to the Jiang Clan, the reason it was almost run to the ground, generations of disciples slaughtered in one fell swoop. 

He would be remembered as a coward who ran, who protected his own life and not those of his superiors. 

Jiang Cheng was running on adrenaline, the high of thinking that Wei Wuxian had gotten what he deserved, and now his reputation would fall into even deeper shambles because of his actions. He carried Wei Wuxian, thinking to himself that he had never felt such peace, such silence while being in Wei Wuxian’s presence. 

Truly, Wei Wuxian was much more tolerable in death than alive - and now Jiang Cheng wouldn’t have to deal with the constant comparison, the disciples would have to come to him for anything. Wei Wuxian being dead was going to be the single best use of that servant’s life that he would ever have. 

Jiang Cheng made it to his destination as the sun was rising, exposing the desolate fauna, the dead tree roots, bushes, remnants of animal skeletons, bones sticking up from the ground in every direction he could see. 

There was a looming darkness, dread that floated in the air around him - almost like it was recognizing the dead that was being thrown into its lands, another soul to take and capture and prevent from leaving the mortal plane without turmoil. 

Jiang Cheng threw Wei Wuxian’s body down a short ravine, watching as his body hit the outsticking rocks, his skull cracking as it landed on the stone floor, dark blood managing to pool on the ground below him. 

He stayed and watched as dark wisps floated towards the body, encasing it until Jiang Cheng could no longer see the red ribbon that he had wrapped around Wei Wuxian’s neck before dropping him. 

He turned, walking back towards the cultivation world, towards people who would no longer hear about the honorable, just, moral Wei Wuxian - they would now hear of the deserter, traitor, abandoner Wei Wuxian. 

The Burial Mounds howled as he exited their borders, accepting their newest sacrifice with pleasure. 

With one last look behind him, a smirk crossed Jiang Wanyin’s face, Wei Wuxian’s clarity bell clutched in his hands. 

No more, no longer would he live in the shadow of a son of a servant, someone who only became who he was because of his father’s generosity, sentimentality, because of him. 

The body would turn to dust, be incorporated back into the earth to which it came. No one would be able to discern Wei Wuxian’s corpse, his bones, from the thousands that covered the grounds of the Burial Mounds. 

Jiang Wanyin’s secret would die with him, and him alone.

***

Lan Wangji was running, sprinting, through the marsh, through the thicket, through the dead leaves and trees and bushes and branches. Past the bones, the corpses, the screams and pleas for revenge. 

He frantically glanced around, looking for something, anything, that would make what he heard Jiang Wanyin say a lie - false, a mistake, mishearing the conversation. 

When Jiang Wanyin returned to the cultivation clans as a participant of the Sunshot Campaign, he spouted a claim that Wei Wuxian had brought Wen Chao to Lotus Pier, that he had been the sole reason the Jiang Clan had faced such decimation - it was solely Wei Wuxian’s fault for the deaths of his clansmen, his parents, the Wen overtaking Lotus Pier. 

Jiang Wanyin had claimed Wei Wuxian left when they were sleeping, that they had planned on going back to Lotus Pier, to fight against the Wen stronghold that was there, to reclaim the bodies of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan - and Wei Wuxian had fled, run, disappeared, vanished.

He claimed that he woke up, and Wei Wuxian was gone, not a single trace of him in the space they had found to sleep in. 

Immediately, others were giving Jiang Wanyin their condolences for having such a disobedient disciple, for Wei Wuxian fleeing in the night after everything he had caused, leaving the aftermath to be faced alone by Jiang Wanyin. 

Lan Wangji had never believed such a story. 

Wei Ying would never abandon his post, he would never abandon Jiang Wanyin, especially not when he knew that Wei Ying cared for the Jiang like a brother. 

Something else had happened, and Lan Wangji would never be able to find out what. 

There was a burning hatred for Jiang Wanyin in his chest, and he would rather let the blazing inferno grow than speak to him about Wei Ying - especially not when he knew he would just get the same answer everyone else had gotten, the answer Jiang Yanli had been given. 

“He left us A-Jie! He left us and he doesn’t even care about what mess he left us with! It’s better that he’s gone, at least he can’t be in the way or cause us any more problems.” 

So, when Lan Wangji stumbled across a lit campfire, disciples in gold, greys, greens, and purples sitting around it - he had walked towards them with the intention of telling them to go to sleep, to put the fire out, to not drink when they were in the middle of a war. 

His steps immediately froze as he heard Jiang Wanyin’s voice, slurred, as he leaned against one of the Jin disciples. 

“Ha! He’s never coming back,” He hiccuped, “Killed him and threw him into the Burial Mounds.” A sharp laugh escaped him. “It’s what he deserves anyway, that fucker, bastard, for what he did to my clan.” 

Lan Wangji felt his head spinning, his heart pounding in his chest at the words. 

“I thought he fled? You’re telling me you actually killed him?” A Jin spoke, their voice just as slurred, sloshing a cup in their hands, eyes wide as they looked across the fire at Jiang Wanyin. 

“You think I would let him leave? I wrapped my hands around his throat,” Jiang Wanyin fell over, landing in a Jin disciple’s lap - immediately being pushed to the ground. “No one has ever deserved death more than that…that…” Jiang Wanyin’s words trailed off as he appeared to fall unconscious, a wicked smile on his face. 

Those around the fire immediately erupted into laughter, reaching over and patting Jiang-Zongzhu on the back for taking care of such an unruly, traitorous disciple - for giving him what he deserved. 

Lan Wangji turned, quickly running deeply into the forest as he bent over. The meager meal he had eaten earlier soon spilling out over the forest floor beneath him, a guttural sob escaping him as he fell to his knees. 

It couldn’t be true. 

Wei Ying couldn’t be dead. 

Killed. 

Murdered.

And by someone who was supposed to be his brother, someone who was supposed to care for him - and Jiang Wanyin had looked all too smug when he spoke about wrapping his hands around-

Lan Wangji shook his head, covering his mouth as tears poured down his face. 

Three months. Three months. 

Three months it had been since Jiang Wanyin joined them, since he told his story. 

Three months that Wei Ying had been missing. 

Three months that his body had been rotting in the Burial Mounds. 

Lan Wangji didn’t care about repercussions as he mounted his sword, directing her towards the south, towards the Burial Mounds, towards Wei Ying. 

He ran around the perimeter, trying to remember if anything Jiang Wanyin had said would help him find out where he had entered, where he had dragged Wei Ying’s body. 

“Wei Ying!” He couldn’t help but shout, tears falling down his face as his hair whipped around him with every turn, every glance, every spot looked at twice for anything familiar, anything that could say Wei Ying was here. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji’s voice broke as he shouted, as he stopped, looking around at the barren trees, the dead shrubs, the dead dead dead dead dead dead dead-

“Lan Zhan?” 

Lan Wangji whipped around, damp eyes landing on Wei Ying. 

He stood tall. His robes fell to the floor in blacks and greys. His red ribbon pristine and without a fray. Wei Ying was alive and Lan Wangji didn’t want to think about what that meant for Jiang Wanyin’s story - he didn’t want to think about anything other that Wei Ying was alive. 

He ran, not caring how desperate it made him look. Lan Wangji didn’t care if he looked disheveled, unkept, if his hair and robes weren’t pristine. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji spoke, arms open as he approached him, wanting nothing more than to pull the man into his arms, to not live another moment without him, to share his heart and his love no matter what Wei Ying thought of him or his feelings. 

Lan Wangji blinked. 

Wei Ying wasn’t in front of him. 

“No, no.” He whispered, raising a hand to his head. 

It couldn’t have been an apparition, a hallucination. Wei Ying had looked so real.

“Oh.” A voice came from behind him. “My bad.” 

Lan Wangji turned around, watching as Wei Ying’s form solidified, as he went from a ghostly form to solid. 

Lan Wangji could see through him before his form shifted, before it became solid. 

That could only mean-

“Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying stepped towards him, hesitantly raising a hand towards him. 

Lan Wangji pulled him into his arms, his solid, cold form into his arms. A sob escaped him as he tucked his head into Wei Ying’s neck, arms wrapped tightly around him as if he was going to float away. 

“What did he do to you?” Lan Wangji couldn’t help but speak into the space of Wei Ying’s throat, feeling the way Wei Ying tensed in his arms. 

Wei Ying pulled back, looking hesitant as their eyes met. 

“I didn’t think you would care if anything happened to me.” He quietly spoke, breaking Lan Wangji’s heart. 

“I have always cared about Wei Ying.” 

A tear fell down Wei Ying’s face. 

“Well, you’ve done a poor job at expressing that.” 

Lan Wangji hung his head, not meeting Wei Ying’s gaze. 

“I apologize.” He looked up. “I thought I had lost you before I could…before I could tell you of my feelings.” Wei Ying’s eyes widened. 

“Your feelings?” He whispered, questioning. 

Lan Wangji closed his eyes, committing the feeling of Wei Ying in his arms to memory, if he would never have another chance to hold him like this. 

“I love you, Wei Ying.” 

He heard the way Wei Ying’s breath hitched, watched the way his eyes widened. 

“But, I’m not,” Wei Ying gestured to himself, “I’m not alive anymore, Lan Zhan. Certainly, you could just forget-” 

Lan Wangji pulled back, grabbing both of Wei Ying’s hands in his.

“You are here. In whatever form you are in, I will always love you the same.” He paused. “I…would like to know what happened, when you’re ready to tell me.” Lan Wangji couldn’t help but reach out, wiping away the tear that fell down Wei Ying’s face. 

“It’s not pretty.” Wei Ying mumbled, refusing to meet Lan Wangji’s gaze. “The form I’m in now is only because they changed my form, made me into something else.” 

“They?” 

“The Burial Mounds.” Lan Wangji froze. “Jiang Cheng dragged me there, left me for dead at the bottom of a ditch. I was, by all means, dead, but my core was still spinning, and the Burial Mounds was able to detect that. They took that small sign of life and transformed me, rebuilding me from the ground up, changing the very way my body functions.” 

Lan Wangji blinked, and a copy of his face was staring at him, before it shifted back to Wei Ying’s face. 

“I can change my appearance. I don’t abide by the rules of the living. Resentment and spiritual energy floods through my veins as my source of power. I do not bleed when I get harmed, nothing can kill me.” Wei Ying swallowed. “Your Clan’s rules would see that I be destroyed, that I’m an abomination-” 

Lan Wangji cut off Wei Ying’s words by cupping his face with both hands - almost smiling at the way Wei Ying looked at him with wide eyes. 

“My Clan will do nothing to harm you. You have been harmed enough.” His thumb wiped away the first tear that fell. “I do not care for their opinions, the only words that matter are yours, the only acceptance I desire is yours, the only person I want is you.” 

“But the war-” 

“Surely we can find another way for you to join the ranks, should you wish.” Lan Wangji brushed a strand of hair away from Wei Ying’s face. “Xiongzhang will trust my word if I show up with a new disciple under my command.” 

Wei Ying reached up, placing his hands over Lan Wangji’s. 

“Your hands are so cold.” He whispered. “Maybe we should continue this from an inn, somewhere warm, with real food. I haven’t had a proper meal in months.” He smiled, huffing out a laugh.

“Of course, if that is what you wish.” 

“Lan Zhan, I wish for nothing more than to stay by your side. If I can do that from inside an inn with a warm bath, then it’ll be even more perfect.” 

Chapter Text

They had gotten lucky - there was one inn left open that had an open room, and staff still available to get them a bath. Wei Ying claimed they just needed the water, they didn’t need it warmed - he had a talisman for that, because of course he did. 

The doors closed as the servants left, leaving a tub of cold water and a slapped on warming talisman in their wake. 

“You can go first, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying looked down at his robes. “I think I’ll just dirty the water beyond saving if I went first.” 

“Wei Ying wanted a warm bath.” Lan Zhan spoke as he reached into the water, checking the temperature. 

Wei Ying sighed, knowing that it was a lost fight from the moment he first mentioned it. 

He dropped his outer robe onto the floor as he crossed the room towards the tub. He peaked his head around the privacy screen and looked at Lan Zhan. 

“Will Lan-er-gongzi help this poor one wash his hair?” 

Wei Ying saw the way Lan Zhan’s ears went red as he looked away - and smiled as he dropped his pants and stepped into the water. 

The warm water was soothing on his skin, a reminder of the warmth that used to flood his veins, the heat that his golden core used to provide him. Wei Ying couldn’t help the tear that slid down his face as he dunked his head underwater, feeling the water’s heat covering his face. 

He emerged from the water to see Lan Zhan sitting behind him, a comb in his hand as he waited. His eyes widened. 

“Are you really going to help?” He whispered, a small smile on his face as Lan Zhan nodded. 

“Wei Ying asked.” Lan Zhan mumbled as he reached forward and grabbed a strand of Wei Ying’s hair, gently running the comb through, carefully untangling the knots. 

Wei Ying leaned his head against the rim of the wooden tub, eyes slipping shut as Lan Zhan ran the comb through his hair, massaging his scalp. His hands were gentle, soft, careful as they navigated the knots, not pulling to get them to untangle, not causing any unneeded pain. 

The tears just slipped out, sliding down Wei Ying’s face. 

It had been so long since someone had treated him this way, that someone had taken extra care to be gentle, to treat him as if he was someone worth caring for - not even Shijie had been as gentle with Wei Ying as Lan Zhan had been, she hadn’t been allowed to care for Wei Ying the way she wanted to. 

His eyes blinked open at the feeling of a damp rag running over his face, at Lan Zhan cupping his cheek. Lan Zhan was looking down at him as he ran his thumb under his eye, wiping away another tear. 

“Why are you crying?” He whispered. 

Wei Ying turned around, facing Lan Zhan, placing his hand over Lan Zhan’s. He leaned forward. 

“I love you, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying whispered, bridging the gap between them and connecting their lips.

He felt the gasp Lan Zhan let out, the sound of the rag plopping into the basin as Lan Zhan brought his hand to Wei Ying’s nape, pulling them impossibly closer. 

They broke apart slowly, smiles on both of their faces as their eyes opened, gazes meeting. 

Without words, Lan Zhan moved behind the privacy screen and reappeared with a set of white robes - the spare set he kept on him. They would be a little big on Wei Ying, but he thought that Wei Ying would be able to adjust his form to better fill out the robes. 

Wei Ying took the robes, smiling as he disappeared behind the screen, appearing a few minutes later dressed in all white - his chest was a little broader, his arms a little larger. 

They sat on the single bed in the room, a tray of nuts and fruit sat on the table, a single jar of wine ready for Wei Ying. Lan Zhan had thought of what was reasonable to get at this time of night from those within the inn - he would have had a fresh, hot meal cooked for Wei Ying, but he had been informed that the kitchen staff had already gone to their rooms. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan softly spoke after Wei Ying had eaten, taking both of his hands in his, “May I see?” 

Wei Ying looked at him. 

“See?” 

“May I see what… Jiang Wanyin did to you?” He felt Wei Ying’s hands tighten their hold as he turned to look down at them. 

“Lan Zhan, why would-” 

“I just would like to know to what extent you were harmed, what Jiang Wanyin is covering up. I know you would tell me if I asked, but I cannot help but think that you wouldn’t share everything because you wouldn’t want to burden me with-” Wei Ying reached over and put a hand over Lan Zhan’s mouth, a small smile on his face. 

“Lan Zhan, if you would let me finish?” Lan Zhan nodded, his eyes wide. 

“Why would you want to see that?” Wei Ying whispered. “It’s not pretty, it’s quite gruesome, it’s not something I would ever want you to see.” He removed his hand from Lan Zhan’s mouth, putting his hand in his lap. 

“It is part of you, so I would like to see. I love you for every part of you, the good and the bad,” Lan Zhan cupped his cheek, “the beautiful and the ugly. They are all you, and I will love you no matter what.” A tear slipped down Wei Ying’s face as he hesitantly nodded. 

Wei Ying sat back on the mattress, hands clasped together in his lap as he closed his eyes. 

Multitudes of emotions flooded Lan Zhan as Wei Ying’s form morphed - as dark purple bruises covered the entire length of his neck, as he watched Wei Ying’s clean hair turn dark, caked in blood. 

Wei Ying opened his eyes and Lan Zhan was met with the sight of red eyes - red because all the capillaries had burst, had broken at the force of Jiang Wanyin’s hands around his neck.

His neck was misshapen, in addition to the bruising. There was an unnatural bend in the middle of Wei Ying’s neck, like it had been snapped, broken, bent in such a way that it had fundamentally changed the shape of his neck. 

Tears poured down Lan Zhan’s face as he reached forward, running his fingers over the blood that stained Wei Ying’s face, at the dark bruises that surrounded his eyes, deep in the skin below his eyes. There was a slight hand print that Lan Zhan could see on Wei Ying’s right cheek, a physical reminder that Jiang Wanyin was responsible for this - for all of this, for the reason Wei Ying was dead, for covering up his death, for trying to hide his own actions with a lie. 

“Could you have been saved?” Lan Zhan couldn’t help but whisper. “If someone had found you, could you…” He closed his eyes as Wei Ying shook his head, shifting his form back to himself, taking away the physical reminder of what Jiang Wanyin had done. 

“He snapped my trachea, broke vertebrae in my neck. It perforated into the arteries.” He reached forward and wiped away the tears that poured down Lan Zhan’s face. “I bled out long before he ever knew I was dead.” Wei Ying gently smiled as Lan Zhan’s eyes opened, meeting his gaze. 

“It didn’t hurt.” He whispered, his voice quiet. “I didn’t feel any of the pain after my neck snapped.” 

Wei Ying pulled Lan Zhan to his chest, wrapping his arms around him, when Lan Zhan let out a whimper. He tightly held onto him as tears pooled where Lan Zhan had tucked his head into Wei Ying’s neck. 

He gently lowered them back onto the mattress, reaching over and covering them both with one of the blankets on the bed. Wei Ying held Lan Zhan’s shaking form tightly, wrapping his arms around him under the blanket as if he was trying to morph them into a single person, fuse them together so as to never be parted again, so nothing bad could ever happen to either of them ever again. 

Wei Ying didn’t need to sleep, not anymore, but he was lured to sleep by the soft sounds of Lan Zhan’s breathing. 

They departed the inn early the following morning, deciding that it probably wasn’t a good idea for Lan Zhan to remain missing from the war front - as he did leave rather abruptly, and without telling anyone. For all they knew, Lan Wangji had been kidnapped, killed and left for dead. 

Their journey also gave them time to create Wei Ying’s cover story, his new identity as an outer Lan disciple under Hanguang-jun’s command. 

Lan Zhan watched as Wei Ying’s form became a mirror of himself, before slowly morphing characteristics of his face. 

His eyes went from Lan Zhan’s golden to a dark brown. Wei Ying kept his own black hair. He added freckles, a scar that crossed his lower face. His mouth was pursed, his lips fuller than Lan Zhan’s own, but less than Wei Ying’s original face. 

By all accounts, Wei Ying now looked like he could pass for Lan Zhan’s cousin, a distant cousin - and they both hoped that it was a convincing enough disguise that no one would question it. 

The Sunshot Campaign was still stationed in the exact same location as they had been when Lan Zhan left two days prior. They managed to slip into Lan Zhan’s tent almost undetected - the door flap opened a few minutes after they had arrived. 

“Wangji!” A Lan disciple spoke, freezing as his gaze crossed the room and landed on the other person within the tent. 

“Tang-ge.” Lan Zhan hesitantly spoke, stepping in front of Wei Ying. 

Lan Qiang sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stepped into the tent, closing and sealing the entrance to the tent behind him. 

“Where have you been? I’ve been covering for you, you know? Chifeng-zun’s been asking for you, and I had to tell him you’ve fallen ill, that you were sick and recuperating in your tent.” Lan Qiang met Wei Ying’s gaze. “I suppose that the man behind you is the reason for your sudden departure?” 

“A-Qiang,” Wangji started, startling his older cousin with the way he was being addressed, “You cannot tell anyone what I am about to say.” 

Lan Zhan watched as his cousin’s face morphed, going from horrified to angered and then back to horrified as he spoke, detailing who the person behind him was, what had happened to him, the brief details of Wei Ying’s death at the hands of Jiang Wanyin. 

“So, to whom am I addressing Wei-gongzi as?” he finally spoke after Lan Zhan finished his explanation, the tent falling silent for a few moments. 

“Lan Yin Bi.” Wei Ying spoke, his voice deeper than his normal inflection, almost matching Lan Zhan’s in terms of timbre, the way he commanded the air around him as he spoke. 

Wei Ying watched the smile that Lan Qiang tried to hide, the way he brought a hand to his face to cover his mouth before schooling his expression, nodding at the name. 

“Of course. I am happy to see you once more, cousin A-Bi. It’s been quite some time since we last spoke. It must have been hard moving to another portion of Lan Clan territory after the death of your parents.” Wei Ying nodded. 

“It’s been difficult, but I am glad to be rejoining my cousins in this war against the Wen Clan. To avenge those they have killed who were precious to me.” 

Wei Ying and Lan Qiang smiled as if they were sharing one big secret - and Lan Zhan merely sighed, thinking that having the two of them meet would only result in more chaos to come.

Chapter Text

“Wangji!” Nie Mingjue practically shouted the second Lan Wangji walked into the tent, Lan Qiang and Lan Yin Bi walking behind him. In unison, they bowed to the room. 

“I apologize for my absence.” Lan Zhan started, “I overexerted myself and needed time to recover.” 

The room was small, they were meeting within Chifeng-zun’s tent - which meant the room was small, but at the same time, was the largest tent in the camp. 

Nie Mingjue was in the middle of holding a meeting between the Clan Leaders and representatives from other clans. Standing around the table, maps and diagrams drawn out, stood Jin Zixuan, Lan Xichen, and Jiang Wanyin. There were two minor clan leaders, but Wei Ying didn’t recognize them. 

Something in Wei Ying felt like he should be wary about being around Jiang Wanyin after everything that happened - it was certainly unsettling to be in the same room as the man who had killed him, who was covering up his death, who was lying to the cultivation world to save his own ass. 

Wei Ying wanted to care about Jiang Wanyin, about the Jiang Clan, about Jiang Yanli, about any of the remaining Jiang disciples that may have gotten away when the Wen invaded Lotus Pier. 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying whispered into Lan Zhan’s shoulder as they laid together on the bed in the inn, “Am I a bad person for not caring about the Jiangs anymore? For not caring about anyone else in the cultivation world except for those I care for?” 

Lan Zhan raised his head, meeting his gaze. 

“Wei Ying should not feel bad for no longer thinking positively of the man who killed him.” He brushed a strand of hair off of Wei Ying’s face. “You owe them nothing. There is nothing Jiang Wanyin or Jiang Yanli could do to undo what was done to you, they do not hold the power to bring you back to life.” 

“But-” 

Lan Zhan covered his mouth with his hand, muffling Wei Ying’s retaliatory whines. 

“You were changed against your will. Jiang Wanyin had no right to blame you for the actions of Wen Ruohan, for taking his hands and wrapping them around your throat. He has made his bed, and forced you to lie in it.” He wiped away the tear that slipped down Wei Ying’s face. “Do not allow him to control you, not when he is the one who took your life.” 

“I’m glad to see you feeling better, Wangji.” Zewu-jun spoke, a smile on his face as he crossed the room, putting a hand on Lan Zhan’s shoulder before turning and looking back at the two Lans standing behind him. 

Before he could speak, Lan Qiang spoke. 

“Zewu-jun, it has been a while since Cousin Yin Bi has been with us,” He gestured to Wei Ying, “But he has decided to join us in this war. He arrived just as Wangji fell ill and was responsible for his swift recovery." 

The three of them watched as Lan XIchen turned, meeting Lan Wangji’s gaze as he nodded. The two brothers shared a silent conversation, likely they would be having a group discussion after this meeting-

“Ah? A-Bi, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Lan Xichen spoke, a smile on his face as he reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “I believe the last time I saw you, you would have been no more than six, not much younger than Wangji I think.” 

Wei Ying smiled back, nodding. 

“It is good to see you as well, Zewu-jun.” Wei Ying dropped into a slight bow. “I cannot help but thank Hanguang-jun for allowing me to join the war efforts under his command.” 

Lan Xichen smiled at him as he turned away - and it felt too real for Lan Xichen to be playing along with simply what they said was the truth. Did he actually believe Lan Yin Bi was a distant cousin who showed up to help with the Sunshot Campaign? Was their story that convincing? Or was Lan Xichen acting as if they spoke the truth because he didn’t want to embarrass himself by not recognizing their cousin? 

“As long as he’s useful, he can stay.” Jiang Wanyin grumbled, reaching across the table and grabbing one of the maps that was rolled up, spreading it out on the table over the map that was already there, securing the corners with round paperweights. 

“Now, our spies have been closely following after Wen Chao.” Jiang Wanyin put his finger down on the map - on a forest a few hours flight away from camp. “We believe he is hiding out in an old Wen outpost, Wen Zhuliu likely with him as well as an unknown amount of Wen troops under his command.” 

“Mingjue has already dealt a large blow to Wen Ruohan with the death of Wen Xu,” Lan Xichen started, glancing around the room, “It is up to us to maintain the morale that our troops are experiencing by adding another blow to Wen Ruohan.” 

Wei Ying stood at the edge of the room with Lan Qiang, watching as the clan leaders all discussed plans, ways to arrange troops that would allow for the largest surprise force that they could obtain - trying to catch Wen Chao by surprise, with the least amount of casualties on their side as possible. 

“Wouldn’t it make sense to send someone out to scout the area?” Wei Ying spoke, covering his mouth with his hand as he realized he spoke his thoughts to the room. 

“Lan Yin Bi, continue with your thoughts.” Jin Zixuan spoke, a slight frown on his face, but Wei Ying had already come to the conclusion long ago that the peacock was just always in a state of upset, that the frown on his face was just the way he looked. 

Wei Ying glanced at Lan Zhan, continuing when he received a nod. 

“We don’t know for certain that Wen Chao is there, we have reports that he may be there. We don’t know for certain who is with him, the force that is protecting him. If we sent out a single person or a pair, they could do some reconnaissance - take note of how large the stronghold is, how many soldiers are positioned inside, confirming for certain that Wen Chao and Wen Zhuiliu are in fact there - before we risk the lives of our own men.”  he finished, glancing around the room, watching as most of the room’s occupants nodded, taking his words seriously. 

“Why should we waste time sending people over there who could easily get caught?” Jiang Wanyin scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat. “We know that Wen Chao was seen there, that he’s likely-” 

“Likely there, Jiang-Zongzhu. You have information that he may be there, but no eyewitness accounts that he actually is.” Wei Ying interrupted, wanting nothing more than to reach across the table and smack Jiang Wanyin for not seeing how much of a death trap this could be - should their information be wrong and they jumped ahead, charging in, potentially causing the deaths of a substantial portion of their troops. 

“It doesn’t matter what you think, you just got here.” Jiang Wanyin stood, glaring across the room at him. “Don’t think that just because you bear the Lan Clan name, the backing of Zewu-jun that you can force your own plans here. No one knows you in this camp, no one knows how you fight, you could be useless in battle for all we know. Someone like you shouldn’t even be in this meeting in the first place!” 

Wei Ying dipped down into a bow, before rising and addressing the others in the room. 

“I apologize for overstepping. I will return to my tent and reflect upon my actions.” He turned, opening the flap of the tent and walking outside - the sunlight hitting his eyes made him squint, raising a hand to block out the sun. 

“Wangji? Where are you going?” He heard Lan Xichen call out as the tent opened again, Lan Zhan walking out, stopping to speak back into the tent. 

“Lan Yin Bi is under my command. He is new to the warfront, he does not know where things are located. Others may find it suspicious to see a new face without my presence.” His face went stern. “I promised him that I would watch his back, just as he watched mine.” 

Without another word, the pair walked side by side back towards Lan Wangji’s tent. 

Wei Ying fell back onto the makeshift bed, his features relaxing back to his own face as he brought up his arm to cover his eyes as he groaned. 

“I did not expect that holding that form would take so much out of me.” He spoke, his voice muffled by his arm. 

“Was it truly that hard?” Lan Zhan spoke as he sat down next to Wei Ying, reaching over and running a hand through his hair, stopping when his hand met Wei Ying’s cheek, cupping his face as his beloved turned towards him. 

“It’ll get better the more I practice.” Wei Ying smiled up at him. “At least I look like you, Er-Gege, so I’ll always know what I’m supposed to look like.” He put his hand over Lan Zhan’s. “I mean, I look at you all the time, where else would I ever want to look?” 

Wei Ying let out a laugh as he was pushed further back on the cot, as Lan Zhan towered over him, a hunger in his eyes as he finally descended. 

It was later in the day that Lan Xichen finally stopped by the tent - and with news. 

“We managed to convince Jiang Wanyin that your suggestion was something worth looking into, A-Bi.” Lan Xichen smiled at him. “You and Wangji will be sent out in the morning to be our spies on Wen Chao.” 

He continued to speak through Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s shock. 

“You both are tasked with surveying the land that we believe Wen Chao to be located. If you come across the Wen camp, do not make contact. Gather what information you can about the location, number of troops, and how fortified their camp is, then immediately return back. Your safety is paramount, do not make risky moves because you think you are capable of doing them alone.” 

Lan Xichen’s words were harsh, lining out precisely what he expected of them, that he expected them to return unharmed and alive with whatever information they could acquire. 

With nods from both of them, Lan Xichen wished them luck and exited the tent. 

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying started as they both looked at the space Lan Xichen had just occupied. 

“Mn?” 

“Does your brother really think you have a distant cousin who just decided to join the war?” 

“It appears so.” 

Wei Ying quickly reached up to cover the laugh that escaped him, bending down and laughing into his arms as Lan Zhan sighed behind him, beginning to pack up their things. 

It was still dark out when Lan Zhan rudely woke Wei Ying up from his peaceful sleep. Not even the other Lans in the camp were awake at such an hour. 

It had been Lan Zhan’s idea to leave before everyone woke, to get a head start in order to return faster so as not to be gone from camp for any longer than they needed to be. 

Wei Ying, reluctantly, agreed as he stepped onto Bichen, Lan Zhan’s hands wrapping around his waist holding him as they flew south towards the forest that had been marked on the map Lan Xichen had given them. 

Flying the whole way there wasn’t ideal, but they could make a headstart on sword, take the rest of the journey on foot and preserve their energy in case they needed it to fight. 

Once they had landed, and were under the cover of trees, Wei Ying fully dropped his disguise and bobbed and swayed next to Lan Zhan as they walked through the forest, talking about everything that crossed his mind. 

It was around sunset that they finally spotted what the Sunshot Campaign must’ve thought was Wen Chao’s hideout, where he was secretly stationed with Wen troops and Wen Zhuliu at his guard. 

The first thing that threw Wei Ying off was the lack of cultivators - or rather, the lack of a presence of spiritual energy that he could detect, something he found out he could do while experimenting with what the Burial Mounds had reshaped him as.

He detected a flicker of spiritual energy coming from one of the buildings, but other than that, there wasn’t a single suggestion that Wen Chao or Wen Zhuiliu were anywhere near this camp. 

“Lan Zhan, they’re not here.” Wei Ying whispered to him as they crouched in the trees, scanning over the small camp, watching as civilians continued on with their daily lives. 

He froze, turning his head towards the ground. 

“Someone’s coming.” He whispered, disappearing in a small puff of smoke before reappearing on the ground, grabbing the person who was approaching them and pushing them up against one of the brick walls. 

“Don’t scream for help, and we might just spare you.” Wei Ying spoke, glaring at the boy as he restrained him, holding his hands above his head. 

“Wei-gongzi?” 

Wei Ying’s grip faltered, before he doubled down, likely bruising the boy as he forced his arms back, watching as the boy flinched at the pain. 

“Who are you?” Wei Ying harshly spoke, feeling Lan Zhan’s presence behind him. 

The boy looked up at him, unafraid as he spoke. 

“We met at the archery competition. You…you supported me, even when I missed the target and embarrassed you.” 

Wei Ying dropped the grip he held onto him, taking a step back into Lan Zhan’s waiting arms. 

“Wen Ning?”

Chapter Text

Wei Ying - Lan Yin Bi - stormed into the tent, interrupting the meeting. 

He crossed the room, his eyes locked on Jiang Wanyin before he stopped before him, grabbing the front of his robes and leaning in. 

“What exactly did your intel tell you about that Wen camp?” He harshly spoke, gripping the purple robes so tightly they almost ripped. 

Jiang Wanyin tried to push away, but Wei Ying was miles above him in terms of strength now. He held on tightly as he watched the Jiang’s face turn red, as he started shouting. 

“Let go of me!” 

Wei Ying slightly shook him. 

“Who gave you your intel?” He started, his voice low, “Who told you to go to that Wen outpost? Who told you Wen Chao was there?” 

The rest of the room had turned towards them, not knowing how to intervene, gazes turning to Lan Xichen to get his disciple under control as Lan Wangji just stood at the entrance to the tent watching. 

“We were given a report by my spy in Wen Ruohan’s court,” Lan Xichen spoke, ruffling through his sleeve and pulling out a letter, “We were told that Wen Chao would be in that location for the foreseeable future, that it would create an opportune moment for the Sunshot Campaign.” 

Wei Ying let go of Jiang Wanyin, walking across the tent and ripping the letter Lan Xichen was holding out of his hand. 

They all watched as his eyes scanned the page, as his anger only seemed to grow the more he read. 

Wei Ying threw the letter down onto the table, scattering battle plans. 

“This does not say Wen Chao is at that location.” His voice was ice as he spoke.

“Of course it does!” Jiang Wanyin shouted, his robes still crumpled where Wei Ying had held them. “Who else could-” 

“A high profile Wen target does not mean Wen Chao, you absolute fucking idiots!” Wei Ying shouted. 

He turned to Lan Xichen. 

“I don’t know how much you trust this spy of yours, Zewu-jun, but your collective ignorance at believing the words of someone who is hundreds of miles away in Wen Ruohan’s court almost got a whole village of civilians killed.” 

“A Wen-dog is a Wen-dog!” Nie Mingjue shouted, pounding a fist down on the table. “It doesn’t matter who was there if they bear the name Wen!” 

“So the people who did nothing more than try to survive deserve to be killed for Wen Ruohan’s actions? The civilians who have locked their doors, saved their families, who have nothing to do with any of this conflict, they deserve death for having the name Wen?” 

The room watched as Lan Yin Bi took a step towards Chifeng-zun, his hands fisted at his sides. There was a chill in the air around him, almost like it was coming from the man himself as he glared at the Clan Leaders in the room. 

“Do infants deserve to die because their parents happen to be Wen?” He threw his hands up. “Why stop there? Why not hunt down every person with a drop of Wen blood in their veins and kill them for simple association? Why not take every girl and woman and harvest their reproductive organs so as to prevent another Wen from being born - and then kill them anyway?” 

Nie Mingjue took a step back as Lan Yin Bi looked at him, at the red that flashed through his eyes before he blinked it away. 

“I could certainly create something like that for you, Chifeng-zun, if you wanted to know exactly how many men in your troops have Wen blood in their veins from anyone in their lineage. You can weed out the bad ones easily that way, since we’ve decided that a Wen-dog is a Wen-dog and there’s not a single way that anyone bearing the name Wen could be anything but a murderous, ravenous beast who should be put down.” 

The tent went quiet as no one dared to move, as Wei Ying didn’t let his gaze waver for a moment - pinning Nie Mingjue in place and forcing him to think of how to get himself out of this. 

“Who was at the Wen outpost?” Jin Zixuan spoke, breaking the silence. 

Wei Ying met his gaze across the table. Jin Zixuan had been sitting down, likely he was moving around maps and pieces as the other Clan Leaders spoke, keeping track of what movements they wanted to make and telling them if it was reasonable or not. The harshness in Wei Ying’s gaze lessened as he saw actual emotion on the peacock’s face. 

Jin Zixuan looked horrified at the prospect that they had been misled, that they had been speaking of targeting civilians and not Wen Chao and his men. He sat there, eyes wide, face pale as he met Wei Ying’s gaze. 

“Your high profile Wen target was Wen Qing and her family.” He heard the way Jin Zixuan’s breath hitched. “Wen Qing and her brother Wen Ning were the only cultivators present, the rest were ordinary people, women and elderly, children, innocents, civilians who have nothing to do with Wen Ruohan and his schemes.” Wei Ying stepped back, glancing around the room to see how everyone was reacting - and got what he expected. 

Jiang Wanyin’s face hadn’t changed, a Wen-dog is a Wen-dog.

Nie Mingjue still looked conflicted, like he had never thought about the aspect of Wen civilians and non-cultivators ever being part of the equation. 

Lan Xichen looked hesitant, like he either didn’t want to believe his intel had been wrong or that the Lan disciple in front of him was lying about the true scope of what was going on. Unfortunately, Wei Ying thought he was leaning towards the latter. 

“Wen Qing is a high ranking member of the Wen Clan,” Jiang Wanyin started, arms crossed over his chest, “Killing her would be a blow to Wen Ruohan. It doesn’t matter who was with her, who was there in the outpost, they’re all just as guilty as Wen Ruohan, as any other Wen who has burned Cloud Recesses and slaughtered my family, my clan was destroyed because of the Wen, so all of them will feel my wrath.” 

Jiang Wanyin took a step towards him, a fire in his eyes. 

“They didn’t hesitate to kill anyone in their way, no matter how old or young they were, why shouldn’t I treat them the same way they treated me?” 

“And who benefits from that?” Wei Ying started, only fueled more by the anger Jiang Wanyin had, at the way he was using the deaths of their shidis and shimeis as a reason to go after anyone with the name Wen in retaliation. 

“Your parents are dead. Your disciples are dead. Your sister is hiding with your mother’s clan because you are unable to keep her safe.” Jiang Wanyin started walking towards him. 

“Do not speak about my sister-” 

“Your head disciple is dead because you blamed him for everything.” Wei Ying sidestepped Jiang Wanyin’s hands as they reached for him, backing up until he was standing next to Lan Zhan at the entrance of the tent. 

“Wei Wuxian is dead?” Jin Zixuan spoke, shocked, eyes wide, almost like he was thinking Lan Yin Bi had misspoke. 

Unfortunately for him, Jiang Wanyin’s shouts droned out any further questions. 

“Do not speak about things you do not understand!” Jiang Wanyin swung at him, Zidian sparking but not reacting, simply using his fists this time. “Wei Wuxian was scum that my father should never have picked up off the streets! Look at all that he has done!” 

Wei Ying exited the tent, Lan Zhan following, as Jiang Wanyin continued going after the Lan. 

“It doesn’t matter who a Wen is, they’re Wen and should be put down like the rabid dogs they are!” 

Jiang Wanyin’s eyes widened as his fist was caught, as he felt a chill course through his body all the way through his soul. He looked up, meeting Lan Yin Bi’s cold gaze, fully immobilized by one hand. 

“The child should not be punished for the sins of the father.” Lan Yin Bi leaned forward. “Your problem is with Wen Ruohan, not Wen Qing. Not all who bear the name Wen, not the children in their mother’s wombs, not the infants, the toddlers, the teenagers, the adults, the elderly, the dead. Your problem is with Wen Ruohan, and him alone.” He released Jiang Wanyin’s hand. 

“And if I catch you harming a single hair on a Wen civilian’s head, there will be much more to deal with than a few harsh words and,” He glanced down at Jiang Wanyin’s clenched fists, “weak punches that could never take anyone down.” 

Wei Ying turned around, the Lan ribbon he wore fluttering behind him as he started walking away, Lan Zhan right behind him. 

“Wait!” Jin Zixuan called out to them as he quickly exited the tent. 

“You…you said Wei Wuxian was dead?” He quietly spoke, causing the disciples who definitely weren’t watching all the fighting around them with rapt attention to gasp, a few shifted their gaze to Jiang Wanyin, watching as his face started turning red - if he could, steam would be spitting out of his ears with how angry he got with every word. 

Wei Ying stopped, turning around to meet Jin Zixuan’s gaze. 

“It’s the only logical conclusion, right?” 

“But Jiang-Zongzhu said Wei Wuxian left in the night!” A disciple shouted, causing another to roll their eyes. 

They all watched as Lan Yin Bi met Jin Zixuan’s gaze, watching as Jin Zixuan’s eyes widened, a hand coming up and covering his mouth. 

“Wei Ying would never abandon his post,” Lan Zhan started, stepping forward. “Wei Ying would never abandon Jiang Wanyin or Jiang Yanli. Anyone who knows Wei Wuxian and his morals should be well aware that Wei Ying is not the type to leave when things get hard, to abandon those who should have cared for him like family.” 

“Lan Wangji, this is Jiang Clan business-” 

“I never believed a word you spoke.” Lan Wangji’s voice was cold as he spoke. “I never believed for a moment that Wei Ying would have left in the night, that you could even dare to describe him as a coward. You are aware, Jiang-Zongzhu, that the Lan Clan has methods of communicating with the dead, correct?” 

The whole camp went quiet. The implications that Lan Wangji had spoken with Wei Wuxian’s ghost - why else would he bring up the Lan Clan’s inquiry? 

Jiang Wanyin froze, carefully meeting Lan Wangji’s gaze - meeting the cold depths of Lan Wangji as he looked away. Slowly, he straightened himself upright, dusting off his robes as he appeared to put on a Clan Leader persona. 

“Lan Wangji, I do not know who you spoke with, who fed you these lies,” He glared at Lan Yin Bi, “But I can confirm for those who trust me that what I claim is the truth. Wei Wuxian left. We had stopped overnight in a high grassed grove, using the nature around us as cover. Wei Wuxian fell asleep before I did, he slept feet away from me. When I woke in the morning, the spot he was in was empty, grass flattened. I thought he had left for food, water, but hours passed and he didn’t return, so I left, continued on with where we were heading.” 

“It is, therefore, a logical conclusion not that I left Wei Wuxian behind, but that he left in the night.” 

Lan Yin Bi only stood, a scowl on his face, before he turned around and started walking away from them - Lan Wangji turning and walking right behind him. 

***

“Wen Ning?” Wei Ying spoke, his eyes wide - watching as Wen Ning nodded. 

“Why are you here Wei-gongzi? Jiang-Zongzhu has spread word that you abandoned the Jiang Clan after Lotus Pier was attacked. That…that you left him in the night.” Wen Ning bent down, picking up the basket that he dropped. 

“Ah, is there anywhere private we can speak?” Wei Ying started, before quickly holding up his hands. “We won’t harm anyone here, we promise. The Sunshot Campaign was told this was a Wen outpost where Wen Chao was staying, only following my advice did they send me and Lan Zhan on a scouting mission,” Wei Ying paused, “Well, they sent Lan Zhan and Lan Yin Bi.” 

Wei Ying laughed at the gasp Wen Ning let out as he changed his form back to his Lan disguise, before shifting back to his own face. 

“Wei-gongzi…what happened to you?” Wen Ning couldn’t help but whisper before shaking his head. “We can speak inside, Jiejie is working in her office, and I think she should be part of this too.” 

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying followed Wen Ning into the village. As it was later in the day, most of the people were inside their homes - the few people they came across, saw Wen Ning guiding them, and simply just hurried in their path, assuming that Wen Ning wouldn’t be guiding men through their village if they were a danger to them. 

Wen Qing looked up as the door opened, freezing as she saw the two men behind Wen Ning. 

“Lady Wen!” Wei Ying quickly spoke, holding his hands up as Wen Qing quickly stood, reaching for her sword. “We swear, we aren’t here to harm anyone!” 

“Why should I believe you? Especially with what Jiang-Zongzhu has been saying about you, Wei Wuxian.” 

It took some time, but Lan Zhan and Wei Ying were able to explain everything that happened - including showing Wen Qing the damage that Jiang Wanyin had done. 

She had taken her time, going over the wounds that covered Wei Wuxian’s neck - the scars from Zidian on his back, the dried blood that pooled on his scalp, caking his hair. Wen Qing carefully probed his neck, feeling the cracks in the vertebrae, feeling the way Wei Ying’s neck no longer was straight, the damage to the cartilage in his neck that had ultimately been part of the reason he died. 

There was disgust in her eyes as she examined his eyes, as she poked and prodded the bruised skin, examining Wei Wuxian’s red, bloodied eyes. She couldn’t hide the way her eyes trailed over the hand print on Wei Ying’s cheek, the rage she felt at seeing such injuries, at hearing what Jiang Wanyin had done when he realized the damage he had done to Wei Wuxian. 

His changing form was something that interested her, as well as the pure amount of power that flooded his veins - both the spiritual energy and resentment. Wen Qing questioned him over and over again, asking what he could change, if there was something he could do without his body knowing what it truly looked like. 

And well, she certainly got her answers. 

“What did you do to me?!” Wei Wuxian’s voice spoke, the pitch higher than it had been as he sat down on the bed, arm coming up to cover his exposed chest. 

Wen Qing looked at him like he was a specimen to experiment on. 

“Fascinating, I would not have assumed that your body could change in such a manner.” She reached for his hand, being swatted away upon approach. “I’ll withhold from giving you an exam, assuming that things work just as well down there as they look up here.” Wen Qing spoke. 

“Why would I want to hold this form?!” Wei Wuxian practically screamed as Lan Wangji took off his outer robe, using it to cover Wei Ying’s chest from being exposed. 

Wen Qing shrugged. 

“It can be easier when it comes to sex,” She eyed them, “Vaginal sex is less messy than anal sex.” Wen Qing continued on, even as Wei Wuxian practically screamed for her to stop. 

“Plus, I would assume it puts you into a unique situation where you have the potential to get pregnant." Wei Ying’s words abruptly stopped as he looked up at her with wide eyes. “I can’t confirm anything, but I wouldn’t eliminate that as a possibility.” 

She stood, smoothening the wrinkles from her robes as she crossed the room towards her desk. 

“Now, we need to discuss the Sunshot Campaign and keeping my family safe.” 

Wei Ying sat up, switching his form back to himself, pulling Lan Zhan’s outer robe over him like it was his right to wear it - winking at Lan Zhan as he stood. 

“Of course. We need to keep them and all Wen civilians safe, especially when it looks like the Sunshot Campaign does not care about civilians, slaughtering them all the same.”