Lan Xichen awoke earlier than usual. He had tried to go back to sleep several times, but ultimately found it to be a useless endeavour. There was a lot that could go wrong today. Lan Xichen wasn't too worried about Wei Wuxian's safety as long as Lan Wangji was with him. However, that didn't mean much in terms of his long term safety. Lan Xichen wasn't certain what they should do to help him. He actually wasn't sure if they should be doing anything other than taking care of his immediate safety. He had not heard back from Jiang Fengmian yet. Not that he expected to since he only just sent the letter to Lotus Pier yesterday. It was entirely possible they would want to take Wei Wuxian back to Lotus Pier immediately to take care of him themselves. Maybe that would even be a good thing. After all, it was here that Wei Wuxian had attempted suicide, not at Lotus Pier. Lan Xichen was also deeply concerned that his Uncle's behaviour may have contributed to this.

There would be plenty of time to consider the options later. For now there was one task he had to complete immediately. He had to talk to his uncle. At minimum he needed to inform his uncle that some of his students would be absent. He also needed to prevent any further mistreatment toward Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen was dreading this conversation. His uncle had always been very rigid and strict. Lan Xichen wasn't certain if he had always been that way, or if it was because of what happened to his brother.

All Lan Xichen knew about the events was what his uncle had told him. He knew that his mother killed his father's teacher. Lan Xichen had no idea why she would do that. During the occasions he was able to see his mother she had never spoken of it. According to his uncle, his father had loved his mother for a long time. He was heartbroken that she killed his teacher, and of course the clan elders wished to punish her for the death. Despite the intense outrage his father still married his mother. He protected her from the elders. Then he put himself and his wife into seclusion as a kind of penance. Lan Xichen couldn't help but wish they had done something differently. Those decisions meant Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji were basically raised without parents. All they had was their uncle, and once a month visits with their mother. Visits that ended much too soon.

Lan Xichen had always believed his uncle was strict because he didn't want to see them suffer the way their father did. He didn't really feel like this was a good approach, but he understood it came from a place of concern. Lan Xichen had tremendous respect for his uncle. He raised Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji while also taking over the duties of sect leader. His uncle had fulfilled those duties until Lan Xichen was ready to take them over. Lan Xichen had assumed the responsibility only two years ago, when he was Lan Wangji's age. Since Lan Xichen had been preparing for this role his entire life the transition was pretty smooth. He had accompanied his uncle to discussion conferences and meetings for years. Now he usually just went by himself. Even though Lan Xichen had taken over the duties of sect leader, his uncle still frequently assisted him.

All this contributed to why Lan Xichen struggled to express disagreement with his uncle. His uncle raised him, taught him everything he knew, and guided him in fulfilling his duties. If his uncle didn't have a strong opinion it was easy to discuss and convince him to change his mind. The problem right now, was that for some reason his uncle had a very strong opinion about Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen had tried inquiring about why his uncle felt so strongly about the YungmengJiang head disciple. The resulting diatribe had not really provided him with any answers. It was true that Wei Wuxian broke many rules, but they were usually minor offenses that could be attributed to the fact that he was young and playful. He had never done anything that was actively harmful to others. Further, the majority of these offenses occurred in class. It was very obvious from the beginning that Wei Wuxian was curious and energetic. With so much excess energy, Lan Xichen suspected that sitting properly and attentively in class was likely an almost impossible task for him. Since Lan Xichen usually only observed the lectures on the first day he couldn't say for certain that was the cause. However, given that his uncle considered good manners to be synonymous with respect, Lan Xichen suspected that the majority of Wei Wuxian's offenses could be attributed to this.

Lan Xichen had spoken with his uncle many times about Wei Wuxian. If Lan Xichen didn't start the conversation himself, then it was Lan Qiren beginning it with his most recent complaints. Lan Xichen had repeatedly tried to calm his uncle with his own thoughts and explanations, but his uncle would have none of it. This meant that the majority of the time Lan Xichen had resigned himself to reminding his uncle that Wei Wuxian was young and Lan Qiren should try to keep an open mind. Lan Xichen immediately felt guilty as he reflected on this. It had been rare for him to have disagreements with his uncle. In his efforts to not engage in verbal confrontations with Lan Qiren, he had compromised Wei Wuxian's well being. Lan Xichen had never felt so ashamed. Lan Xichen took a deep breath and went to find his uncle. As much as he did not want to have this conversation, this was the only thing he could do to atone for his previous inaction.

Lan Xichen was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize just how early it was when he knocked on the door of his Uncle's residence. Once he was invited inside he realized his uncle had just sat down for his morning tea. Lan Xichen internally winced. His uncle kept himself on an even stricter schedule than the majority of Cloud Recesses. Every morning he awoke at five sharp. He dressed and sat down for tea and quiet contemplation. Afterwards he would eat breakfast, then he would prepare for lessons, attend to paperwork, or meet with people as needed. His uncle hated disruptions to his routine. Normally Lan Xichen would only come speak to him this early if it was an emergency. Well, he supposed this was an emergency. It was just an emergency he would have preferred to discuss when his uncle was in a good mood.

"What brings you here so early?" Lan Qiren's tone was polite and concerned. Although Lan Xichen could tell his uncle was unhappy with the disruption, it was clear he was more concerned with what the disruption might be about. Lan Xichen knew his face had already creased with concern.

"I'm afraid a serious matter has come up. Yesterday Wei-gongzi attempted suicide. He tried to slit his own throat in a secluded area of Cloud Recesses," Lan Xichen said in a single breath. "Wangji was able to stop him, but had he been a second later Wei-gongzi would have died." Lan Qiren's eyes widened in shock. For a few seconds he seemed to be at a complete loss for what to say or do. Lan Xichen felt like he could practically see his uncle replaying those words through his mind. Lan Qiren's face slowly shifted to an expression of intense thought.

"Has he divulged why he took such actions?" Lan Qiren questioned. Lan Xichen felt relieved. Perhaps it was unfair of him to assume that his uncle would still react in an accusatory manner toward Wei Wuxian.

"I didn't have an opportunity to speak with him yesterday. When I saw him in the infirmary he was asleep. Wen-guniang is treating him and she indicated we should not wake him. I plan to speak with him this morning." Lan Qiren's brows twisted in confusion.

"Why is Wen Qing treating him rather than our own healers?" Lan Qiren inquired. Lan Xichen had already decided last night that he would not disclose the incident involving resentful energy. He felt certain his uncle would react very strongly to that information and immediately jump to conclusions. They did not have all the facts yet, and since Wen Qing seemed to be knowledgeable in managing the situation Lan Xichen felt it was appropriate to hold off on disclosing it.

"She happened to be nearby and offered her services. Her reputation is well known and her skills as a doctor are second to none. Given the severity and complexity of the situation it would be imprudent to turn down her assistance." Lan Xichen replied calmly. Technically he did not know why she was in the infirmary. He could only assume she heard the ruckus and decided to investigate and offer aid. Lan Qiren fell silent, appearing to be deep in thought.

"I sent a letter to Lotus Pier informing them of the incident and spoke with the Jiang siblings. It seemed like they were not aware of Wei-gongzi having these sorts of safety concerns." Lan Xichen added. It was important that Wei Wuxian's guardians be informed, and it was also important for his uncle to know that Lan Xichen had already done so. First to prevent unnecessary confusion. Second, Lan Xichen expected that once informed, Jiang Fengmian would likely come in person to Cloud Recesses. He did not want his uncle to be surprised when the YunmengJiang Sect Leader arrived.

Lan Qiren's thoughtful expression deepened until Lan Xichen could not tell if Lan Qiren was just thinking intensely or actually displeased. Lan Xichen wasn't sure what could have upset Lan Qiren. It was standard practice that if a guest disciple was involved in any dangerous incidents at the Cloud Recesses, they would immediately contact their guardians. Knowing that Wei Wuxian's guardians were not aware of Wei Wuxian having suicidal thoughts or urges was important. It not only explained why they had not been informed when Wei Wuxian came to the Cloud Recesses. It also prepared them for the fact that Wei Wuxian's guardians would likely be confused and ask many questions regarding the incident. Lan Xichen felt slightly concerned. His uncle was probably just deep in thought, but he could still vividly recall his uncle throwing a scroll at Wei Wuxian during the first day of class. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious. His uncle clearly had trouble thinking rationally when it came to Wei Wuxian.

"You shouldn't need to get too involved in the incident. I just wanted to make sure you were informed so you would not be surprised. Wei-gongzi will likely be absent from classes at least until we hear back from his guardians. Since Wen-guniang is treating him she will likely be unable to attend as well. The Jiang siblings were quite upset yesterday. I don't know if they will want to attend class to distract themselves or if they will wish to stay close to Wei-gongzi. Safe to assume for a while that if they are absent this is the reason. I've asked Wangji to keep an eye on Wei-gongzi, so he will be absent as well." Lan Xichen hoped that both cleared up who would be missing from class as well as let Lan Qiren know that he did not need to get involved in this matter further. Lan Xichen felt a twinge of guilt when he said he asked Lan Wangji to stay with Wei Wuxian. Technically that was a lie, but he suspected his uncle would not take well to being told that Lan Wangji was distraught and did not want to leave Wei Wuxian's side. Lan Xichen could worry about that later if/when Lan Wangji decided to officially court Wei Wuxian. That would be another challenging conversation with his uncle.

"For what purpose do you want Wangji to keep an eye on him?" Lan Qiren asked immediately. Lan Xichen wasn't sure why he seemed so displeased. Hadn't Lan Qiren been the one to assign Lan Wangji to supervise Wei Wuxian copying the rules?

"Given the circumstances I feel more at ease with Wangji there. I trust his ability to ensure Wei-gongzi's safety." Lan Xichen replied. That was technically true even if he had not been the one to decide that Lan Wangji would stay by Wei Wuxian's side. Lan Qiren hummed vaguely in acknowledgement. His expression had not changed. Features creased in thought while he wore a deep set frown.

"I understand your concern, but I doubt you need to take such extreme precautions. Wei Wuxian has been causing mischief since he stepped foot into Cloud Recesses. He has not even been remorseful enough to correct his behaviour, let alone being unhappy enough to seek his own death. More than likely this is just some new ploy of his to garner attention or evade lessons." Lan Qiren said with a small nod, as if agreeing with his own words. Lan Xichen froze. 

'More than likely this is just some new ploy of his to garner attention or evade lessons.'  Lan Xichen felt sickened. He could not believe what he just heard. Did his uncle really just say that Wei Wuxian tried to kill himself to skip class? Did he really just say Wei Wuxian tried to kill himself for attention, in that dismissive tone? Lan Xichen felt like he no longer knew the man sitting across from him. Lan Xichen swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. The hands that had been resting in his lap had tightened into fists. He could feel his own nails biting into his palms.

"Regardless of the reason he tried to kill himself, I am deeply concerned." Lan Xichen said slowly. "If he tried to kill himself because he desires death, it means he is in so much pain that death sounds like a good option. How ignored and overlooked do you have to feel, for a suicide attempt to become a reasonable option for trying to get people to notice? How much do people have to dismiss your feelings for suicide to feel like the only way people will actually notice something is wrong?" Lan Xichen's voice was still quiet, but he did not sound calm. "And if one of our students attempts suicide to try and get out of class, there must be something horribly wrong with how we are teaching." Lan Xichen's voice was trembling slightly. He wasn't sure if he was angry with his uncle, terrified of what his uncle suggested, or horribly disgusted. He very slowly got to his feet. "Wangji and I will handle all matters relating to Wei-gongzi while he is in the Cloud Recesses. I recommend Shufu to be more careful with your words, and not make assumptions about others." Lan Xichen bowed to his uncle and left without giving his uncle a chance to respond. He was not sure how his uncle would respond to being reminded to follow two of the rules that he seemed to have forgotten.  Regardless, Lan Xichen did not think he could stand to hear anything else his uncle would say right now. He was so desperate to return to the Hanshi that he didn't even acknowledge anyone as he passed by. Only once he was inside did he finally release the breath he had been holding.

Lan Xichen had never before resented his uncle, but he was certain that was what this feeling was. This slightly queasy angry feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could not reconcile the man who raised him with the man he had just spoken to. Those dismissive words felt like a slow poison. Something that would claw its way through your body to drain you of strength and vitality until you expired. Lan Xichen was not even the person those words were directed at. Yet, he felt like they had wounded something inside of him. How much damage could those words do to someone who was already considering suicide? Lan Xichen took a few slow breaths.

It had been ten years since he and Lan Wangji's mother died. Lan Xichen had only been eight at the time. He had overheard some things that he probably wasn't meant to. At first he didn't understand what he was hearing, or what it meant. He could remember the exact moment when he finally understood that his mother had killed herself. It felt like something broke inside of him. First understanding his mother was dead. Then understanding that her death could have been prevented. She didn't have to die. Lan Xichen didn't know what the reason was. He could guess her forced isolation had probably not helped. Lan Xichen understood that as a child he couldn't have done anything. He only saw his mother once a month. Once a month she would smile at him and Lan Wangji. She would hold them and talk with them. He didn't remember her looking sad, or ever complaining, but she must have been sad. It could not have been easy for her to be kept from her children. This was also why Lan Xichen should have known better than to not intercede when his uncle was bullying Wei Wuxian. Just because someone looked fine, did not mean they felt fine.

Lan Xichen took another steadying breath. Lan Xichen understood that most likely whatever struggles Wei Wuxian had must have begun before he arrived at Cloud Recesses. Even knowing that, he could not help but feel like his negligence had nearly cost Lan Wangji the first person he had opened his heart to since their mother's death. Lan Xichen could not let that happen. He wasn't sure what Wei Wuxian needed, but Lan Xichen would do his best to help.

'I won't let you lose him, Wangji.'