Travelling to Qishan had been stressful. Lan Wangji had hoped Wei Wuxian would be relieved to be out of Lotus Pier. Lotus Pier itself was a stressor for Wei Wuxian. Too many memories of terrible things happening there made just existing more stressful.

Being away from Lotus Pier did seem to help at first. Unfortunately certain individuals were among their travelling companions. The disciples of the YunmengJiang sect were fine. They were sometimes a bit over eager to try and drag their Shixiong into conversations and activities, but Lan Wangji was able to deter them most of the time. Jiang Wanyin was another story.

The YunmengJiang sect heir was... something. If he was not sulking and ignoring Wei Wuxian then he was making nasty remarks and jabs. Hours of travel were filled with angry glares and sharp words that came in small semi-random bursts. Whether Jiang Wanyin was silent or speaking he was a constant source of stress for Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji could see the pain dimming Wei Wuxian's eyes as clear as the guilt causing Wei Wuxian's shoulders to hunch.

Worse was that there was nowhere to escape from it. Wei Wuxian had finally started removing himself from situations that were causing him distress. Now suddenly there was no way to remove himself. Wei Wuxian also found some of his favourite ways of calming down suddenly out of reach. There was no quiet space to get away when being around people started to become too much. Wei Wuxian couldn't just pick a clearing and practice his sword forms to let off steam. He couldn't pick up a story book or pick up a book about talismans to study.

Reading while riding a horse was not among Wei Wuxian's skills. Lan Wangji had not expected it to be, but apparently it was something Wei Wuxian had tried in the past with unpleasant results. All of these things had made the trip stressful, but the biggest issue came up on the first night they stopped at an inn.

"Sect Leader Jiang was not amicable to us sharing a room before marriage." Lan Wangji said slowly. Wen Qionglin tilted his head.

"Did you not share a room in Lotus Pier?" Wen Qionglin inquired.

"Only Jiang Yanli was aware that we had continued to share a room at Lotus Pier." Lan Wangji admitted. "Wei Ying did not wish to explain the reason." Lan Wangji did not wish to force Wei Wuxian to explain anything to the Jiangs that Wei Wuxian was not comfortable with. For one thing it was up to Wei Wuxian who he was comfortable being vulnerable with. For another, Lan Wangji was not convinced that knowing the reason would change the Jiangs' behaviour.

Jiang Yanli knew very little in terms of the details of what Wei Wuxian's difficulties were and why. Without knowing, she was still willing to offer support. Jiang Yanli did not ask why Wei Wuxian was not comfortable being crowded by the disciples. She only knew that Wei Wuxian was uncomfortable and did her best to distract them and allow him the space he needed.

"Did Xian-ge get any sleep during the trip?" Wen Qionglin asked with deepening concern.

"Mn. Wei Ying slept." Lan Wangji stated. Wen Qionglin tilted his head in confusion.

"Sect Leader Jiang wanted Wei Ying to share a room with Jiang Wanyin." Lan Wangji's eyes flashed with a small flare of anger at the memory.

"Have... Have they patched things up?" Wen Qionglin inquired. Lan Wangji shook his head.

"Jiang Wanyin does not accept responsibility for his actions." Lan Wangji said as his expression became cold with the Second Jade's restrained rage. "Expects Wei Ying to behave as before. Wei Ying stood his ground." Lan Wangji's expression cleared at the end. An obvious glimmer of pride in his eyes as he smiled fondly at the sleeping figure laying across his lap.

That first evening at an inn had been horrible. Less so for Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji felt his sense of duty to his sect. He respected and loved Zewu-Jun. These had always been true, but the importance of those feelings were much quieter than they had once been. They were quieter because now Lan Wangji's world was not his duties and obligations as the Second Jade of the GusuLan sect. Lan Wangji's world was Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji needed Wei Wuxian like he needed to breathe. That generous, playful, clever soul had a heart purer than the waters of the Cold Spring and a sense of right and wrong that guided truer than three thousand rules of morality and conduct. Lan Wangji's respect and admiration for Wei Wuxian were boundless.

From the first day they met Lan Wangji had seen this mischievous and playful mind attack problems with a boundless curiosity and inventiveness that could shake the world. Wei Wuxian made Lan Wangji think. Wei Wuxian speculated on solutions and proposed ideas that challenged the mind. To go from always accepting how things were done to suddenly being prodded to think beyond the scope of what was generally accepted, was like ascending to a world of wonders.

Wei Wuxian's mind was a landscape of ideas and possibilities as brilliant as stars. He challenged Lan Wangji. For the first time in too many years Lan Wangji did not know what to expect. He had to put in effort when they fought. Wei Wuxian's strength and creativity brought an excitement to Lan Wangji's life that Lan Wangji was not certain had ever been there before. It had been abrupt and startling, but Lan Wangji never wanted to be without it again. He loved how Wei Wuxian could push him. Push him to have to work harder when sparring. Push him to think beyond what is taught and accepted. Push him to be better.

Wei Wuxian had become Lan Wangji's world. Something beautiful and warm, that challenged and changed him, and Lan Wangji loved it. He loved Wei Wuxian, and he loved the person he was when he was with Wei Wuxian. With Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji felt completed. He felt accepted and loved. Not for being Lan-er-gongzi the perfect disciple of the GusuLan sect, but for being 'Lan Zhan'. 'Wei Ying's Lan Zhan,' who sometimes had difficulty expressing himself with words. Who was still learning his way around emotions that had been long absent from his life. Who did not like to share 'his Wei Ying' with others.

These large all encompassing feelings for Wei Wuxian had made Lan Wangji's feelings for the rest of the world much simpler. Anything and anyone that hurt Wei Wuxian was subject to a singular emotion. Rage. This rage was controlled by boundaries and barriers forged from Wei Wuxian's too kind heart. A flimsy leash of politics and etiquette could do little to stay Lan Wangji's protective anger.

Instead Lan Wangji was held back by his desire to cherish and protect that self sacrificing heart that was still learning how to take care of itself. Wei Wuxian was not someone who wished pain onto others. Seeing others in pain was in turn painful to the beautiful soul that was Wei Wuxian. So Lan Wangji held his rage in check. He held it until the scales tipped and the pain inflicted onto Wei Wuxian by others became greater than the pain Wei Wuxian would feel in sympathy for them.

This was what had happened at the inn. Lan Wangji had seen the panic and terror in Wei Wuxian's eyes when Jiang Fengmian told him to share a room with Jiang Wanyin. No one knew better than Lan Wangji what Wei Wuxian's sleep was like when he didn't feel safe. No one knew better than Lan Wangji how hard it was for Wei Wuxian to feel safe. No one present understood just how much Jiang Wanyin's sharp pointed words had stung Wei Wuxian.

Throughout their trip it was usually only spurts of one or two words, never more than a sentence at a time. Too little to be solved by the silence charm, not without just constantly applying it every thirty minutes for the entire day. By the first afternoon of their journey Lan Wangji was sorely tempted to do just that. Wei Wuxian was the one who had talked Lan Wangji out of it. Soothing Lan Wangji even though Lan Wangji could see the pinched expression and dull ache in Wei Wuxian's eyes.

There was no way Lan Wangji was going to permit the YunmengJiang Sect Heir to be alone in a room with Wei Wuxian. The last time they had been alone together, Wei Wuxian had ended up dissociating so badly that it took hours for Wei Wuxian to feel like himself again. If Jiang Wanyin had been even remotely apologetic, maybe Lan Wangji would consider letting Jiang Wanyin have a private conversation with Wei Wuxian. Only if Wei Wuxian also privately expressed desiring such a thing. Lan Wangji had no problems being the one to say no to Jiang Wanyin if Wei Wuxian wanted to deny the sect heir, but couldn't bear to do it in public.

Of course no such apology ever manifested and every other word out of Jiang Wanyin's mouth was either accusing Lan Wangji of stealing Wei Wuxian, as though Lan Wangji cared about that assertion. Or Jiang Wanyin was commenting on Wei Wuxian. These comments were not usually said to Wei Wuxian. Many times Jiang Wanyin did not even name who he was talking about. He would speak to disciples or to himself. The exact words varied but the meanings were crystal clear to the receivers.

Ungrateful. Disregarding what others do for you. Not appreciating what you have. Demanding more than you deserve. Rude. Saying and doing whatever you want. Forgetting all manners and decorum. Disrespecting those around you and those associated with you. Inconsiderate. Not thinking about how your actions affect others. Letting your words and actions hurt them. Not caring about anyone but yourself. Selfish. Unfilial. Abandoning your family. Leaving them. Not giving them the respect they deserve. Ignoring the sacrifices they have made. Ignoring what they have done for you. Ignoring what you owe them. Inappropriate. Having no decency. Flaunting intimacy in a disgusting manner.

Jiang Wanyin's words were varied. Usually commenting on behaviour that would be embarrassing to be associated with. Sometimes using unrelated examples while Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were well aware of who Jiang Wanyin was really talking about. Some of them Wei Wuxian weathered easily, but some of them cut deep enough to make Wei Wuxian's eyes flinch with pain. Whenever Jiang Wanyin's sharp talk struck Wei Wuxian's guilt towards his family, Lan Wangji could see Wei Wuxian wilt.