A/N: Just was wondering if you guys were making wrong guesses on purpose to not offend/upset me by guessing rightly before I revealed it or whatever, but 😂😂😂😂 Trust me, I'm all ears to your guesses. I HAVE made it pretttttty obvious... But... Yeah, so I was wondering if perhaps THIS was the reason you weren't saying the right guess? *shrug* Anyways, just remember. With me, it's the slightest catch of a line that gives out the most OBVIOUS clue so yeah 😉 All eyes open, y'all! Loads of clues this chapter! Sure you'll guess it this time!

And here's a pre-marriage WangXian_living_together sneak peek 😂

Enjoy! And congrats on guessing rightly that the leg-hugger boy was A-Yuan! 

[Don't worry about his ill mother, I'm good at "Getting rid of obstacles" *flashes sniper gun* 😂😎]

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"What would this Gongzi wish to have?"

"What are your specialties? I say, do you have home-brewed wine?"

"Definitely! How many jars?"

"Get me three."

The waiter nodded and ran into the back to bring out three jars and line them up on the table.

"And tea for him," Wei Wuxian pointed to Lan Wangji. Once all was served, having downed the first jar, Wei Wuxian beckoned to the waiter to bend to his level. "I'm new to the area, just came to pay Cloud Recesses a visit. I was wondering... it's a shame Caiyi Town doesn't have good brothels... didn't seem to find any," Wei Wuxian mumbled low.

The waiter looked at him intently and glimpsed furtively at Lan Wangji, who pretended to calmly sip his tea, ignorant, unaware.

"Oh don't worry, Hanguang-Jun won't know a thing. Mind telling me a good place you know of?"

"Well, here itself is the best you could find," the man grinned and whispered back.

"Oh? But I thought it's just an inn?"

"Come here after 7 PM. You'll see wonders. There's an upper floor, complete with a dancing stage set up only at night."

"An upper floor? Set up for the job after seven? Why that's great!"

"It is, prettiest lasses you can find." 

"Why certainly. After all," Wei Wuxian rose his voice by a notch. "Gusu does boast of the most beautiful people, be it woman or man," he grinned when he saw Lan Zhan's Adam's apple bobbing. "Then after seven it is," he winked to the waiter.

The man nodded and walked away to serve the other people.

"Lan Zhan, all confirmed."

"Mn." 

**********

At eight that evening, Wei Wuxian returned to the inn. The waiter from before warmly welcomed Wei Wuxian but had not expected him to actually come. He excitedly guided Wei Wuxian upstairs. Wei Wuxian was ecstatic to find the old businessman up there, standing near the dancing stage, waving and welcoming his most known and regular customers. The floor was overflowing with young and elegant women, all having miscellaneous beauty traits, smiling, fanning, dancing, serving. Seeing the just entered Wei Wuxian, a whole squad of girls surrounded him, delighted to have such a handsome young master with them. Wei Wuxian grinned at them, gently shoving them off.

"Aww, but Gooongziiii..."

"Apologies, sincerest apologies, but I'm an engaged man, haha!"

"Wah, impossible! Gongzi's too young and handsome, it's a shame! Engaged?"

"Absolutely. To the most beautiful man, too, so I apologise for disappointing these young ladies. Actually though, I came to meet this fellow here," he pointed to the innkeeper and the women nodded and made way, whining at him being engaged. Chuckling, Wei Wuxian walked towards the man.

"W– Wei G– Gongzi!"

"What are you stammering for? Surprised to see me here?" Wei Wuxian crossed his arms. "You know well enough the rules of the lands under the Gusu sect. No prostitution, no brothels. What's this?" He asked, looking daggers at the man, sternly chiding.

"I... This..."

"And you dared to suggest Heiguang-Jun to be a vandal! He was righteous! At least he knows the Lan rules," Wei Wuxian glowered at him. He raised his hand and drew a bright amber talisman, shooting it out the window when it transformed into a small dragon-shaped messenger. In seconds, Lan Wangji had walked into the hall.

"Ha– Hanguang-Jun!" Everyone rose and gawked.

Lan Wangji nodded to Wei Wuxian and the latter tied the innkeeper's wrists together in Golden Thread. "Dare to escape and the thread will be around your neck next," Wei Wuxian glared at him. The man nodded furiously. "Lan Zhan?"

"We'll take him home."

"Fast, too, because you guys go to bed in an hour. The rest?"

Lan Zhan glanced around the floor, seeing at least fifteen women, the workers, and twelve young and old men, the customers. He turned back to the innkeeper. "Do you have a record?"

"Of the cu– customers?"

"And the workers. All."

"Workers, yes. Customers, not really..."

"Then forget it. Where is the record?" He asked a group of women huddled together. One of them scurried to a table and handed the book, hands trembling under the glow of his aura. Book in hand, Lan Zhan turned around and walked to the door.

Wei Wuxian drew a Golden Thread from the clasp around the innkeeper's wrists to his own hand. "You all can go home. Those of you workers who have no home, remain here for the night."

The people nodded and Wei Wuxian took the culprit of a businessman out to hand over for Lan Xichen to deal with. 

**********

"Lan Zhan."

"Mn."

"What will Zewu-Jun do with the man?"

"Arrest him. Bring down his businesses as a punishment."

"Oh wow... Heiguang-Jun made the threat, but this idiot went and complained and brought it all down on himself? it's almost like Heiguang-Jun lured the man into getting all this done to himself, hahahaha!"

"Mn."

"Fellow's wondrously smart. And the workers who don't have a home?"

"Will be taken in. Servants."

"Oh great. The Lan sect motto is true, then? Be righteous. Hey, Lan Zhan, feels good to actually collaborate every now and then, doesn't it? We worked together! Won together!"

"Mn."

"Next time a case like this comes up, tell me, we'll cooperate again!"

"Boring."

"Oh come on!" Wei Wuxian huffed. "You're such an angry pest!"

"I meant I don't need to tell you. You'll be here."

"Oh... Oh right..." Wei Wuxian waved to his sister. "SHIJIE!"

"Well thank goodness! I thought you were planning on spending the night at the Jingshi," Jiang Yanli chuckled.

"Shijie..." Wei Wuxian blushed. "Why's Mister Peacock here?"

"I told you, I'll stay until she goes."

"I can protect her myself just fine!"

"You weren't here," Jin Zixuan rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine, let's get going, it's nine already. Lan Er-Gongzi should go to bed," Yanli took both her brother's and her darling's hands and dragged them to the gates.

"Bye, Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian waved once his sister let go of him at the gates.

"Seriously? Not even 'good night'? 'Sweet dreams, honey'? He's your fiancé, you know?" Jin Zixuan elbowed him in the stomach.

"Watch," Wei Wuxian whispered to them and turned back. "Lan Zhan!"

Lan Wangji, who had been watching them leave, nodded to him in question.

Wei Wuxian grinned wide and blew him a brief kiss. "Nighty night!"

Lan Zhan growled at him and turned away, walking fast back to his Jingshi, face and ears flushed red.

Jin Zixuan sniggered and Jiang Yanli chuckled.

"A-Xian, not nice of you to tease him all the time!"

"He's such a grumpy pest, I've got to loosen him up! I don't want to be marrying an icy pillar of jade!"

"You used to say 'heartless' too..." Yanli raised her brows.

"Turns out he isn't heartless after all," Wei Wuxian smiled and walked with them to Caiyi Town, where they will part, talking about the beggar child Lan Zhan had helped. "He's such a leg-hugger, Shijie! So sweet!"

"When you come here, keep an eye on the boy, he might need help with his ill mother," Yanli suggested.

"Looks like I've my hands full for when I come to live here," Wei Wuxian grinned. "I guess life here won't be so bad after all..." 

**********

The New Year festival came and went and Wei Wuxian began counting down the days for him to leave his childhood home. He walked into his brother's room to find Jiang Wanyin intently drawing something. Slow and cautious brushes and strokes drifted across the paper as he painted some cherished image. Wei Wuxian tiptoed closer and peeked over his shoulder. Just in time for Jiang Cheng to notice and cover the paper with his shoulders. "No peeping!"

"Is that for me?"

"Said who?"

"I want to see, too!" Jiang Yanli rushed in.

"Shijie! Done with the stitching?"

"Yes! I've done your veil beautifully!" Yanli beamed at him.

"I wish I knew embroidery, I want to do something for Shijie, too..."

"You can learn when you're there, I believe Lan Er-Gongzi knows how to mend his own clothes and so knows embroidery," she winked. "What's this, A-Cheng?"

Jiang Cheng sighed and showed them. Yanli and Wuxian beamed at the beautiful landscape painting of their Lotus Trio having wine and lotus pods aboard a boat on their lake. "Was this from when we returned home after graduation?"

"Yes."

"Beautiful!" Yanli cheered. "Is it finished?"

"Couple of strokes left."

"Finish, finish, I want to add something." 

While Wei Wuxian chattered about those times, reminiscing, Jiang Cheng finished up the image and passed it to Yanli.

"So, A-Xian, I still don't get why you requested for the wedding to be held at Cloud Recesses?"

"Well, two things. One, Shijie's wedding is being held here and I don't want to trouble Jiang Shushu and Madam Yu by making them go through the chaos of having to redo all the decorations and invitations. Now the wedding ceremony will be done by the Lans and the invitations sent out by Shifu and Zewu-Jun, so less trouble for our Jiang Shushu and Madam Yu."

"Aish, all because you keep seeing yourself as a possible bother to everyone," Jiang Cheng shook his head. "Reason Two?"

"The wedding is held at the bride's place. If we keep it in Lotus Pier, that means I'm the bride!" Wei Wuxian whined.

"Well, technically you are, because you're the one with the veil..."

"OI! It's different okay? If held there, the only Jiangs seeing me would be you guys, and Jiang Shushu and Madam Yu. I wouldn't mind that. But if held here, holy crap! Every last Jiang shimei and shidi of mine is going to see me! NO WAY! I've got my self-esteem among my sect, hmph, utter shame for a Head Disciple."

"Fine, fine, whatever. A-Jie?"

"Yes, I'm done!" Yanli pushed the paper towards them. At the top right corner, she had delicately drawn a lotus-petal shaped border around a single quote, which Jiang Cheng read aloud.

"The three of us should be together forever, and never separate."

"Shijie's calligraphy is out of this world," he smiled. "Another thing for me to learn while I'm there. Shijie, is this from what you said to me some years back? Ah, at our graduation?" He recalled her words, resonating like church bells in his head.

A-Xian, you, me and A-Cheng, the three of us, should be together forever, and never separate.

"Yes, A-Xian."

"Let's sign this!" Jiang Cheng proposed and each picked up a brush of his, signing in a column under the lotus-shaped box by order of decreasing age.

Lady Lotus Petal.

Master Walking Chaos.

Master Amethyst Spitfire.

They laughed at each other.

"I must say Nie Huaisang's naming skills are out of the box!" Jiang Cheng smirked.

"Nie Huaisang? Oh, you mean Lazy Sang!" Wei Wuxian snorted.

"Exactly," Yanli chuckled.

The three siblings then pinky swore:

"Married or not, Lotus Pier, Cloud Recesses, Koi Tower,

wherever we are, we'll always stick together.

Never forget, never be apart.

Forever together at heart."

"Hey, Shijie, that rhymes!" Wei Wuxian laughed.

"Which makes it all the more memorable! Here, A-Cheng. Since you're the only one remaining at home, put this up on a wall, treasure it, okay?"

Jiang Cheng nodded. "A-Xian, A-Jie, when are we going? To help Xichen and the Lans with decorations?"

"Four days before the wedding." 

**********

Wei Wuxian found himself knocking at the Jingshi on the said day, with Yanli and Wanyin having chased him out of the Cloud Recesses Main Hall to let them all put up the decorations.

He heard footsteps approaching and the door creaked open to reveal a beautiful young man standing there, gazing back at him.

"Ah, Lan Zhan! Hello!"

"Wei Ying?" Lan Zhan's eyes widened.

"You see..." He gulped, nervous to be here at his betrothed's house. Scratching his nape, feet fidgeting with nervousness, face flushing crimson with shyness, he muttered it all out in one breath. "Shijie-and-A-Cheng-are-dealing-with-the-decor-chased-me-out-the-Lan-juniors-told-me-you-were-here-and-I-was-bored-so-I-came-here-I-hope-you-don't-mind-me-coming-in-to-your-place-just-for-a-cup-of-tea-I-really-am-sorry–"

"Welcome home," Lan Wangji opened the door wide and stepped aside, allowing him in.

Wei Wuxian's mouth opened in a soundless 'Oh' at the wonderful smile adorning Lan Wangji's face. "H– Home?"

"Mn."

Gulping, blushing fast, Wei Wuxian shuffled into the house. Lan Zhan shut the doors behind him and watched him.

"Wow, Lan Zhan, the place is immaculate! As pristine as your mourning clothes," he laughed. "Beautiful," he mumbled, fingers caressing the magnolia branch that peeked into the room through the open window. He looked out the window at the garden around. "You've got gentians? Strange, all of Cloud Recesses has only pale white stuff..."

"Mother planted them."

"This was Madam Lan's home? Fabulous," he smiled and looked around, taking the sheer beauty and tranquility of the place in. "I know she stayed separated from the rest, and Qingheng-Jun was in seclusion and all that, but she actually lived so elegantly..." Both sat at the main table in the room. "You used to come see her?"

"Mn."

"How was she? Bet she was the second most beautiful woman in the land to have borne you Twin Jades anyway."

"Mn– Second?"

"My mum's the first!" Wei Wuxian tossed his hair, grinning. 

"Mn," Lan Wangji thought. Who else could give birth to such a cherub of a man? 

"So? Was she fun? Was she playful, sweet, talkative? Or cold and silent like you? Or maybe somewhere in between like Zewu-Jun?"

"Wei Ying."

"Eh?"

"She was like Wei Ying."

"R– Really?" Wei Wuxian blushed. "I... I see... So then all this cold heart of yours is thanks to Shifu... Hmph, I'll melt it if I can when I get here," Wei Wuxian smiled. "Were you studying?" He looked at the study table, where books were strewn across.

"No, practising the guqin."

"Oh? Fantastic! You keep playing, I'll just have a look at your books, if you don't mind? Just going to read something to kill the time."

"Mn," Lan Wangji nodded. He poured out tea into a teacup and stood. "I'll be back in a minute, feel free to look around," he nodded and walked outside.

"Hm? Where's he going?" Wei Wuxian shrugged and looked around. Seeing a tall bookshelf stacked with ageing and new books, he hopped over, picking up random books and flipping through the pages. "Beasts, legendary monsters, Lan sheet music, core-cleansing music, cultivation practices... What a boring set of books..." he groaned. "Why can't this guy keep something interesting? At least the beast stuff is good," he sighed and reached for a book on monsters he had seen earlier. Just then, his elbow brushed against an extremely old book, yellowing and ancient. "Ooh, this looks like something fun," he grabbed the book.

"Channeling core energy... manipulating the power of your core... Huh? Manipulate? Why would Lan Zhan want to manipulate his core energy?"

Frowning, he flipped through the rest of the pages. "Ah! What's this!" He quickly turned the book over to look at the title on the cover.

"Divergent Cultivation Techniques."

Divergent cultivation? But... that's... that's... Wei Wuxian's jaw dropped at the book in his hands.

Clatter, clatter. The doors opened. Lan Wangji stepped into the room and placed a tray on the table beside the teacup. "Wei Ying, here's– Wei Ying!" He fast-walked forward and snatched the book from his hands.

"L– Lan Zhan... You...?"

"Wei Ying..." Lan Zhan sighed and put the book back. "Promise me you won't tell anyone what you saw."

"I won't, really, promise! But tell me, are you really a Divergent?"

"Mn," Lan Zhan looked down at his feet.

"Well who cares? You and I can work wonderfully together in that case," he slung an arm around Lan Zhan's shoulder.

This time, Lan Wangji didn't shrug it off.

And Wei Wuxian was taken aback. But he masked it well.

"Divergent is a condition where your core is like a split personality. Both spiritual cultivation, and magic. So those talismans in that book, you can do those?"

"Mn."

"So you and I have much in common after all! How come you never show your talisman skills?"

"My Divergent side is well-hidden. It'll only bring trouble."

"Said who?"

"Wei Ying, you're a free spirit. I'm bound to my sect. I can't afford to disappoint my sect."

"But... being able to do talismans is something admirable, right? Nobody ever scolded me for being a Divergent..."

"It is an issue for me. Mother was a Divergent, hence my inheritance of it. Mother... wasn't really too well accepted by the sect. If they know I inherited her trait..."

Wei Wuxian sighed and nodded. "It'll only bring trouble on you. Curious though, in my case, it was my mother too. They say rogue cultivators tended to have Divergent cores. Baoshan Sanren does. My mother did. Yours too. And now us. Interesting... Oh, and I'm guessing only Zewu-Jun knows about your Divergence?"

"Mn. Mother had instructed xiongzhang to never let Shufu know."

"Sheesh, yes, yes, he'll kill you if he heard this," Wei Wuxian laughed nervously. "Then don't you worry, I can be a great secret-keeper."

I've hidden my encounter with Heiguang-Jun all this time, never gave anyone a description of how he looked should he be chased down, though even I don't know who he is... Of course I'm good at keeping secrets!

"Not a soul other than your brother and myself will know."

"Mn. Thank you."

"But then why keep this book out in the open, dummy?" Wei Ying smacked his head with Chenqing and took the book. "Hide this somewhere! You took it from the Forbidden Section in your Library?"

"Mn."

"Then find some place to hide this. That's two reasons for Shifu to hit you. Stealing the book from the Forbidden Section and keeping such a secret."

"As long as it is unsuspicious, nobody will notice. If kept in a drawer, the maids might come across it. Nobody touches my bookshelf."

"Then we'll put a lock on this. Just in case..." Wei Wuxian placed his index and middle finger together, pointing them towards the cover, letting a flame of crimson ignite at his fingertips. He wiggled his fingers over the book with his orange magical energy and drew out six characters, down the cover page.

蓝忘机的财产

[Lan Wangji de cáichǎn] 

(Lan Wangji's Property) 

He drew a line at the end of the charm, and grabbed Lan Zhan's hand. Lan Zhan gawked at him, at his audacity in snatching his hand just like that, by the palm too.

"Stop goggling at me. Draw out your energy. Not spiritual. Divergent energy."

"Mn," Lan Zhan let a similar flame exit his fingertips, adorning the line that Wei Ying had drawn.

"Ooh, your energy's blue? Nice. Turquoise is such a pretty colour. Now then, this is a sealing talisman. This line," he pointed to the line at the end of the spell written on the book, which was now glowing magenta with his red and Lan Zhan's blue energy interlacing across the line. "This line has your energy so only you can open this. It also has my energy because I made the talisman. Meaning only the two of us can open this book. Not even your brother can. And the seal..." he snapped his fingers and the charm vanished. "Is invisible. Only when someone who can't open it touches the book will the talisman light up. Lan Wangji's property. A clear warning against trying to open it. Which they can't do anyway. Satisfied?"

"Thank you," Lan Wangji nodded, staring in awe at the book. He tapped the cover to see if the letters lit up, but instead, the magenta line at the bottom lit up and the cover page turned itself over. He gasped.

"Hahahaha, no-no, your book's not possessed," Wei Wuxian doubled up laughing. "It's just to show you're allowed to open it. You know how when a seal is broken, a box clicks open? The same theory here."

"Where did you learn this?"

"Who said I learnt it?" Wei Wuxian grinned. "Came up with it. Did a bit of researching, got it done. I use that on some of my special books in case Shijie finds them," Wei Wuxian winked. "You know, like the book you tore up long ago?"

Lan Wangji gulped. Wei Wuxian, oblivious as ever, was standing right in front of the drawer that contained that very erotic book.

"Don't worry. When I move in, allow me to teach you every last talisman I know! Divergents should stick together," he raised his hand, fist clenched into a ball. "Come on, fist bump!"

"Mn?" Lan Zhan blinked.

"Aish," Wei Wuxian sighed and grabbed his hand again. He just couldn't believe Lan Wangji didn't seem the least bit irritated at Wei Wuxian taking his hand so many times today. Wuxian rolled Lan Zhan's hand into a fist and bumped it with his. "There. Friends? I mean, I know we were enemies mad at each other and we've called each other all sorts of things but... you are the only fellow Divergent I know, and now that we're going to be living together, might as well become friendlier?"

Lan Zhan felt slightly frustrated by the friend zone but decided to stay there. For the moment. He'll deal with the stuffy friend zone after their wedding, when their new life together begins.

"Mn. Friends."