Today was a special day.

Wei Ying knew this as he furtively looked around, hoping not to get noticed by anyone. This was ridiculous really, because today was a rare day off in Cloud Recesses and he intended on making it even more special for a certain somebody.

Lan Zhan was always saying that Wei Ying wouldn't know a rule even if it came up to him and slapped him on his face…maybe that was Huaisang…but anyway, it birthed this most fantastic idea, and Wei Ying thinks it's his best one yet!

Lan Zhan was going to be so surprised!

Maybe enough to actually say something other than "Shameless!" Or "Boring!"...

Wei Ying wasn't even sure why he felt as if any minute now, someone was going to find fault with him and give him more rules to follow or copy out.

He had just as much right as anyone else to visit the library, right?

Okay, it might not be his go to place for fun, but it was the go to place of fun for someone else, and since Lan Zhan was the point of all this, it made sense to do it here.

Lan Zhan was finally going to be…proud? No…that might be a bit too strong to assume.

However, the irony lay in the fact that if he did fail, he'd be given more rules to write out.

Wei Ying felt like a criminal, creeping into the library.

It was early too, and far before his waking up time. But he was going to make a real effort today.

Of course, his sneaking out of the guest quarters had more to do with avoiding Jiang Cheng and having to answer questions he really had no answer to, but that's neither here nor there; Wei Ying had made up his mind, and that was that.

He's early.

Too early…because the library is deserted, there's no one else here yet.

Not even Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying swallows down the deep disappointment that grows like a weed in his chest, spraying it with the thoughts of hopeful positive vibes. Lan Zhan will come soon, and when he does? He's going to be so surprised!

Wei Ying makes his way to Lan Zhan’s spot.

Lan Zhan always sits here, next to the huge round window with the view of the Great Magnolia tree outside. It's in full bloom and the scent of its flowers drifts in…but it's not enough to disperse the already lingering fragrance of sandalwood.

Wei Ying shamelessly breathed in, huge gulps of the warm and spicy scent, filling his lungs and wondering how much money a person could make were they to find a way to bottle it up and sell it as a perfume.

Lan Zhan’s desk is neat and tidy, not even a brush out of place. His inkplate is clean and ready to melt ink onto, his papers are orderly and in a neat pile. Wei Ying decides to make his ink for him so that it's ready for him when Lan Zhan comes.

There is something so peaceful about this time, and performing a mindless act of grinding the charcoal into a paste and adding the oil to make it easier to write with. He knew that some people still used water, but Wei Ying was a big believer in trying out new things and experimenting with all of the marvellous ideas his beautiful brain provided him with.

Most of the time, his ideas were good, like this one.

Once he was done with that, he folded his legs into a lotus position and settled down to wait.

He fell asleep.

********

Lan Zhan dressed and once he had finished his routine for the morning, was just about to leave the Jingshi when his brother knocked on the door.

"Happy birthday, Didi." He says, with the most genuine smile gracing his lips.

"Thank you, Xiongzhang." Lan Zhan lets him in and they sit down at the little low table.

Lan Zhan pours tea for both of them, letting the soft jasmine fragrance waft around them.

"Shifu is making today a holiday. No lessons." XiChen says, watching his baby brother over the rim of his teacup.

No matter how old he gets, Lan WangJi will forever be his baby brother. And XiChen is extremely grateful for him.

Lan Zhan muffles a sigh.

He does not like being the centre of attention.

And if lessons are cancelled…then that means the chances of Wei Ying being in class… or anywhere in Cloud Recesses have suddenly become nil. The notorious troublemaker will no doubt be causing havoc in town rather than staying here, and getting in trouble for breathing wrong.

Lan Zhan will not be examining why this causes him great disappointment.

XiChen smiles to himself.

Lan WangJi is not as discreet as he would like to think he is.

"Here." He pushes a small box of coconut sweets towards his younger sibling.

He has the pleasure of seeing a happy tilt of a slightly upturned mouth and a flash of joy in those golden eyes, before rigid control is brought back and the Jade face is restored to its normal stoic expression.

Lan Zhan puts the box inside his qiankun pouch for later.

"You might want to share them…with someone." XiChen says, trying not to laugh.

Lan WangJi with a barely concealed crush was too priceless an opportunity not to take advantage of…and XiChen was ready with his bag of popcorn and candy to watch the show.

Lan Zhan glares at his cup. If he stays silent, XiChen might go away.

"I might have spotted Young Master Wei going into the library, on my way here." XiChen smiles at the naked excitement on WangJi's face, before it's quickly hidden. He decides to help his brother out…after all, no harm in giving a gentle nudge, right? So he bites his lip and continues. "You might want to supervise…there are many priceless tomes housed in our library. I've never seen him be careless with anything of value…but accidents will happen."

Lan Zhan stands up so fast, there isn't even time for him to make himself dizzy.

XiChen walks out with him, a sly smile openly on his face.

He leaves Lan WangJi storming towards the library pavilion and continues on his way.

Lan Zhan isn't sure what he's going to find in the library when he gets there…but it certainly isn't a sleeping Wei Ying next to his normal place by the window.

His steps are normally quiet, but something inside him melts at the sight of a ponytail falling forward to hide half of a beautiful face, the lovely red ribbon hanging to one side. Wei Ying is still sitting in a lotus position, and his hands are cradling his face. His thick lashes are curved, resting on the blush of his cheeks, and Lan Zhan suddenly doesn't want to wake him up.

He comes around the sleeping form and elegantly pushes his robes back to sit on the mat by his table.

Then he discovers that his inkplate holds freshly ground ink…and it's still wet…? It must have been Wei Ying who made it for him!

Lan Zhan feels extraordinarily happy suddenly.

Wei Ying came to see him.

On his birthday.

He grabs a brush and begins to write; and he's pleasantly shocked at how smooth the ink is, how it even dries darker and is such a joy to perform calligraphy with.

He finishes one page, and then he's startled because Wei Ying finally succumbs to his exhaustion and lies down…with his head resting in Lan Zhan’s lap!

For a few seconds, Lan Zhan doesn't dare to breathe.

He's terrified of waking this utterly gorgeous man…and then part of him really wants to see those bright silver eyes open, and look at him.

Wei Ying is unfairly stunning to look at, but when he actually engages with someone? He is devastatingly charming.

No wonder all those maidens blush and flirt back with him in town…he is captivating and interesting and so, so lovely…

Lan Zhan accidentally snaps his brush in half.

The noise has Wei Ying sit up in a panic.

He blinks in surprise and then the most beautiful smile lights up his face. It warms Lan Zhan from the inside, and he feels an uncomfortable thumpety-thump happening inside his chest. It's getting faster the more Wei Ying looks at him like that.

But he doesn't speak.

Silently, Wei Ying resumes his lotus position and looks straight ahead.

Lan Zhan wonders what's wrong with him.

Usually, Wei Ying starts chattering from (he thinks) the moment his eyes open. The boy is incapable of remaining quiet.

Lan Zhan even thinks he may have started talking from birth.

It may not be as impossible as he once thought, after meeting this vivacious and colourful character.

Lan Zhan quietly carries on writing with this most lovely ink, but now his mind is on the warm person next to him, uncharacteristically silent and inactive. He's thinking about why Wei Ying isn't moving.

Usually, the boy cannot sit like this for more than ten minutes, let alone the time it takes for one incense stick to burn out…and Lan Zhan finds it extremely strange.

He's in charge of punishments and he cannot recall if Wei Ying had done anything to merit this, either.

He wasn't pre-emptively punishing himself, was he?

Lan Zhan was slightly horrified at this thought, but knowing Wei Ying, it was entirely a possibility. His logic was probably rooted in the fact that he was probably going to break a few rules no matter what he did, and therefore if he punished himself beforehand, it would save time later.

An hour later, and Lan Zhan found that he couldn't concentrate any more.

This silence was uncanny and completely weird for the young man sitting so quietly next to him.

Lan Zhan glances in his direction and is shocked to see a single tear escape from those beautiful jewel-like diamond eyes. Wei Ying sniffs, trying not to let any more fall.

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan quickly whips out his white handkerchief, the one that his mother had embroidered little white bunnies in the corners of, and doesn't even hesitate to wipe Wei Ying’s face. "What are you doing?" He whispers frantically, at a loss to explain this strange behaviour.

Wei Ying shakes his head and looks down for a second, and then he's back to sitting quietly, back rigid and staring straight ahead.

It doesn't make sense!

"Wei Ying! Please, tell me! Why are you punishing yourself? This is too much!" Lan Zhan is terribly distressed and his hands flutter about, trying to make Wei Ying feel better.

"But Gege…Don't you like it?" Wei Ying’s eyes fill with more endless tears.

"Like what?" Lan Zhan can't even believe it, that he's having a whole conversation with this brilliant boy, who shines like a comet bursting through the sky.

"This." Wei Ying gestures to himself. "I followed all the rules: do not stand incorrectly. Do not sit improperly. Do not smile foolishly. Do not talk in the library…well, that last one…" he laughs sadly. "I thought you would finally be happy with me because…b-because I'm finally following all the rules. For you…because it's your birthday, and I didn't want you to call me boring or Shameless…or…or -"

Lan Zhan is really upset.

"Please don't!" He says quickly. "I love you just the way you are."

Wei Ying freezes, staring back at him.

Lan Zhan wishes he could teleport.

Anywhere, as long as he wasn't there.

"You…you love me?" Wei Ying says cautiously.

There's a lot going on in his head.

Lan Zhan can't really think but he knows that lying is forbidden and really, there's no other suitable answer.

"Yes. You don’t have to feel the same w-mphfs"

Suddenly his arms are full of a warm, soft Wei Ying and their lips are smashed together in the most inelegant kiss, and yet, this is the best birthday present Lan Zhan has ever had.

Wei Ying (WEI YING!!!) is in his lap and they are kissing and kissing, and it takes a few more practice kisses before Wei Ying is moaning into his mouth.

Their lips are pressing against each other's and it's so sweet, a physical declaration of how they both feel. And when Wei Ying gasps, needing air to breathe, Lan Zhan pounces with his hot tongue and suddenly, there is nothing else except each other. The scent of wonderful lotus flowers mingles with sandalwood and spice, and this love is as sweet as the coconut sweets they will share together later.

"Happy birthday, Hanguang-Jun." Wei Ying giggles against his lips and Lan Zhan finally smiles.

THE END