Lan Huan looks around the sparse room with little curiosity; he knows or had expected the place to have minimal requirements in place. There is a simple bedroll neatly rolled up in the corner, a pillow and a blanket, a chamberpot and a bamboo mat for sitting.

No pictures on the wall, no decoration of any kind, not even a vase to house wildflowers. He briefly wonders whether this room mirrors where his father has chosen to live out the remainder of his days, whether it meets his needs or not.

Here, alone with his thoughts, Lan Huan can admit that he feels angry towards his own father. To have such unfilial thoughts towards a family member would be frowned upon but that is exactly why he can think them here, where no one will ever know.

The reasons why both of his parents were estranged, why his father will live out the rest of his life in seclusion are cloudy, hidden behind frowns of those who know but do not wish to tell him, or pursed lips keeping the knowledge secret out of kindness. But Lan Huan is a kind person himself, empathetic to a fault, and he knows how much of a strain his father's choice is putting upon his uncle.

So his rage is justified because he has witnessed first hand how much harder his uncle has to work daily, not just dealing with his own life but managing all of his older brother's obligations too, like living two lives instead of one at the same time. No wonder his uncle always looks tired and ready to be done with the world. That is his father's fault, no one else's. Why should his father be allowed to sit in the equivalent of the naughty corner while everyone else must suffer as a result of his actions? How is that fair?

And surely, with the tragic and untimely death of his mother, the reason for the punishment of seclusion was also gone, right? So why had his father not left his home by now?

He puts this to one side, letting himself calm down.

He is the older brother to Lan Zhan, Lan WangJi. And if there's one thing he can definitely learn from his father, it's how not to be a shitty older sibling.

Thinking of Lan Zhan, the image of his Didi with A-Ying comes to mind as he settles cross-legged on the bamboo mat, and a smile raises his lips. The two of them are so cute together! He's overjoyed that his too serious, too thoughtful younger brother has found his soul mate, because anyone can tell that's what they are.

As for himself, he can't imagine having that kind of singularity, the one-minded devotion concentrated on another, cancelling out every and all other interactions. If he had to choose, then possibly Nie MingJue would be a prime candidate.

But he is not here to reflect on his life as seen from the outside. He's here to meditate and grow his golden core. Ever since he learned what happened to Wei Ying, how he simply defied logic and the worst possible success rate, giving up his own golden core to someone who, in Lan Huan's eyes was undeserving of it, he has got a whole new appreciation of his own golden core. He cannot fathom the kind of love needed, the type of debt the person involved thought he owed, and since he cannot imagine how bereft it would make him feel, he cannot imagine doing that for anyone, not even for Lan Zhan. Then that makes him feel ashamed.

How is it that one who was brought up alongside the main family but never actually adopted into the Jiang main family, felt closer to his shidi than Lan Huan feels towards his own blood brother?

It makes him feel inadequate.

He supposes that is the key. He's no stranger to meditating, and it becomes an easy thing to slip into that pure state, with only the intention to improve himself. His teachers have loosely thrown about the word 'prodigy' in relation to himself, so now is the time he must prove it.

*************

Xue Yang looks around his room and can't quite believe it.

He gets to have this; a whole room to himself. That's more than he's ever had in his little life before. Up until now, one meal a day was a luxury, a bed to sleep on, unthinkable, the stuff of dreams, and ever since he had met a little boy called Wei Ying, his life had changed forever. From barely existing and thinking that the world was out to get him, he's discovered a softer side to life, and he's well aware that he's one of the lucky ones.

So it stands to reason that he's allowed to have a little freakout.

First, he paces, trying to think.

He doesn't know much about the lump of Yin Iron that was left to him - giving it up wasn't a big deal. He had seen what had happened to Wen Ruohan because he used it, and maybe there might have been a time when he, too, would have been tempted to test it out on every single person who dared to slight him, every owner of every kick, pinch or slap should and would have been made to pay.

But things are different now.

Xue Yang thought before that finding A-Qing would be it, that she was his found family and that was enough. But the way Wei Ying's family have welcomed him with open arms, literally, means so much more. He's part of a Sect now, and more importantly, part of a family. With them at his back, Xue Yang is slowly learning that there's so much more to learn about the world, so much more to experience. He's learning that it can be an adventure, a fun one.

Truthfully, he has no idea what to do regarding meditation, but Shifu (he told him to call him that(??)!) has given him amazing pointers.

Time to find out if they work.

He sits down on the bamboo mat and faces the wall. Closing his eyes, he lets his mind concentrate on his breathing. In and out....in and out...

He begins to pay attention to each rise and fall of his chest, noting a build up of energy in his dantian. He does this for a long time, immersing himself in the feeling of letting go.

Here, he's not hungry, he's not thirsty, he just is. No other worries cloud his mind, he doesn't have to think about his next meal or where he's supposed to find shelter for the night. There is nothing taking him away from this task. Cool breath in, warm breath out.

Time passes without being noticed, for the room is dark and without distraction.

And then he feels it.

A tiny spark, bright and warming, fragile like a candle blowing in the wind. Is this his core? It's like a baby, helpless and cute, needing his assistance to grow stronger. Xue Yang settles deeper into the trance, picturing his golden core turning with every breath, cool breath in and warm breath out.

Every time his breath leaves his body, the golden core lights up, ever so slightly stronger with each exhalation. His mind becomes focused on this single sole action, of feeding the baby. As he practises, he becomes familiar with himself. He begins to draw out a moral compass, the tool that will help him decide on a plan of action. He begins to understand himself better, why his gut reactions are usually so fast and full of violence.

He learns that it is not necessarily a bad thing.

As his core grows in strength, so does his determination.

In his mind, he draws a circle. Right in the centre is himself, alongside his golden core. The next circle includes A-Qing, A-Ying, and A-Zhan. Content with this, he draws another circle of light around that one, filling it with his new aunt and uncle, Lan Huan, and Shifu, Chen-Shushu and Lan-Shushu, now travelling with his sister. This is his family, and he will do anything to protect all of them. Including walking on this new path.

*************

Lan Zhan stares at Wei Ying as the little gremlin closes his eyes after declaring his love. The little thief stole Lan Zhan's right to respond, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he did it.

Fine.

They are here to meditate, and this is right up Lan Zhan's alley. He reaches across and takes Wei Ying's hand, then settles himself firmly in his posture, sitting ramrod straight and centering himself firmly, concentrating on his breathing. His golden core flares up, summoned by him, alert and ready to do his bidding.

As Lan Zhan deepens his concentration, he sinks into a state where he no longer requires the use of his mind, or his intelligence, or his ego. He begins to let go of his awareness, dropping each sense as it makes itself known.

He lets go of sound, the rustle of restless robes next to him, the quiet breathing of another person nearby, the hardly-there hum of static, a high pitch white noise that has always been there.

Next comes letting go of the pictures in his mind. In this deeply private place, nothing, no images disturb the tranquillity that settles into his bones. His skin feels cool and present, the silk of his robes a calming presence, and for a second, he takes note of the gentle fragrance around him. Lotus flowers and clean linen, the scent of his love.

Quietly letting go, until there is the blank screen in his mind, like a still, deep lake with hardly a ripple to disturb its surface.

Then he feeds all of his energy into his core.

Like a bonfire, it bursts into flames reaching high up into the sky. He feels warm, alight with bliss as his awareness hits the crown of his head. Waves and waves of pleasure roll over him, taking away every single worry he ever had. This is a different kind of joy, not dependent on anything outside of his body. It's a culmination of everything that is simply, unequivocally right. This feeling is what is pursued, sought after by every single cultivator at least once during their long lives, and it is like jumping feet first into a deep well of pleasure. His golden core grows more powerful, feeding the bliss which reflects the power back into feeding his golden core again, a back and forth motion that grows and grows in power.

This...this is everything.

More power means he can protect Wei Ying better, and that's all he cares about.

*************

Wei Ying has always found it hard to sit still. His restless nature had to be forcibly suppressed the first time he made progress in cultivating his golden core. But he's a quick study and after keeping it a secret until Jiang Cheng got his, he learned his lesson on hiding his cultivation, especially from Madam Yu.

Doing it first though, that helped him give first hand experience to his shidis and shimeis, and as a result, Lotus Pier boasted the highest number of young disciples at any one time, out of the five great sects.

His meditation in motion was a fantastic discovery that allowed him to teach and cultivate at the same time, improving himself in leaps and bounds.

But to have to sit now, with the sole goal to connect to his golden core feels like the world's most boring task known to man. He shifts in his seat, trying to stay still for Lan Zhan's sake, when Lan Zhan simply takes his hand.

The action makes Wei Ying open his eyes briefly, only to find Lan Zhan already sinking into a much deeper meditation. But this connection makes Wei Ying feel suddenly so much calmer, as if Lan Zhan is trying to soothe his restlessness by reassuring him via his spiritual energy. It washes over Wei Ying like a cooling blanket in the height of summer when every touch burns. It trickles into his veins, settling under his skin to rub over the rough edges of his consciousness, allowing Wei Ying to breathe more freely.

His concentration improves considerably, and he channels his spiritual energy towards the tiny nub of power located in the centre of his dantian. How a spark lights up a bonfire, the result is the same and Wei Ying, too, slips into a tranquil, deeper meditation. This way, he can actively improve his golden core, channelling his power through his meridians and establishing a firmer connection throughout his own body. His spiritual energy moves upwards past the space between his brows, the hidden secret residence of his third eye, and after staying there for a while, it gathers strength and brings his awareness to a place of serene tranquillity, a place where nothing more is expected of him.

It is where he belongs.