Wen Qing took pity on Lan Zhan after he wouldn't leave at night, and Wei Ying was adamant that he couldn't sleep in his bedroom. There was no way he could have Lan Zhan in the same room and be able to close his eyes as well.

This whole mess was making him go crazy, and Lan Zhan, being at the root of the problem, wasn't helping. He even said he didn't mind sitting outside Wei Ying's bedroom until the morning. Why he couldn't go back to Cloud Recesses was beyond anyone's theories, and so finally, they relented and gave him a room.

Lan Zhan is waiting for Wei Ying as soon as he steps out of his bedroom, bleary-eyed, and starving for coffee. Sparks of joy lift up his heart as he stares at the beautiful man, barely awake and so softly gorgeous.

Today, Wei Ying is wearing a dark cloak (it's so he can fall asleep again when no one's looking), a scarlet hoodie, and ripped skinny jeans. The red ribbon in his messy hair flutters as he moves, the scent of lotus flowers drifting towards Lan Zhan.

For a few moments, they simply stop and stare.

Lan Zhan is wearing traditional robes, and they're in a pale blue. His outer robe is made from a see-through delicate cream lace with cloud motifs all over it. Subtle silver diamonds are sewn in a single line on the cuffs and the edges of the collars.His inner robes are tied immaculately around a firm slim waist, and hanging off the ties, Lan Zhan has secured the gift Wei Ying had given him on that horrible day.

It's a jade token of a lotus flower, a sign to remind him of Wei Ying, he had said on that day, smiling with the brilliance of a thousand suns. Jade for Lan Zhan and the lotus flower for Wei Ying, a sign of their unity.

Wei Ying had saved up for it, and on the day he saw it in Caiyi Town, he'd had to borrow money from his sister to pay for it. He'd paid her back even when she'd insisted it wasn't necessary, stating that he had to be the one whose money was used. Otherwise, it'd be weird.

Today, Lan Zhan is far more attentive. He has been studying Wei Ying and can tell when his throat is parched, when he's feeling hungry and when he needs time to himself. The day passed much the same as yesterday, with one exception.

Lan Zhan brings flowers for Wei Ying.

Nineteen red roses, and these particular ones are scented. His eyes keep drifting towards the beauties in their vase on the sill of his window, and Wei Ying simply melts at the sight of them, again and again.

He's getting ready for Huaisang's party, and he told Lan Zhan as much that he better have something wonderful to wear as well. Lan Zhan reluctantly went back to Cloud Recesses with a determined look in his golden eyes.

Today has been strange if Wei Ying is honest with himself.

Every time his eyes land on Lan Zhan's face, he's surprised again that Lan Zhan is here. It's getting better, though, and he thinks he might even miss him when Lan Zhan gets tired of following him around. It hasn't happened yet, but it's only a matter of time.

Whenever he's needed anything, Lan Zhan has correctly predicted it and made adjustments to accommodate him, and the experience has been jarring. Wei Ying is used to either fending for himself or making do without whatever it was he needed, and so to not put any effort in is making him feel guilty.

Just a little bit.

Plus, Lan Zhan has been asking intelligent questions, and Wei Ying has enjoyed talking to him as equals. They've had interesting discussions ranging from the history of the school and the varied curses Wei Ying has had to cure.

Finally, Wei Ying thinks he might be ready. He's wearing a black lace shirt, a tailored black jacket which hugs his shoulders and his waist, and deep wine-coloured trousers that he squeezed into.

It's not for Lan Zhan, he tells himself, trying to ignore the clown he can see in the mirror.

When he opens his door, Lan Zhan is right there, patiently waiting for him.

And wow...

Lan Zhan has foregone wearing a jacket because his cream shirt has two sleeves on each side, one fitted and ending at his wrists where lotus flower cufflinks are fastened, but the extra long sleeves make it look as if Lan Zhan is wearing a cape. No one should look this hot! His matching cream pants are fitted so that Wei Ying can see every muscle in his legs, and holy cow, he's even left a few buttons undone.

This isn't fair.

Then he steps forward to present Wei Ying with a single deep red carnation, its edges darker naturally, and it enhances what Wei Ying is already wearing. He doesn't know quite what to do with it, so Lan Zhan smiles.

"May I?"

Wei Ying nods, standing as still as a deer caught in headlights.

Lan Zhan steps right up to him, and the heady fragrance of sandalwood hits him with a yearning. When their fingers brush as Lan Zhan takes the flower, Wei Ying jolts and nearly drops it, but it's saved by long pale digits. Lan Zhan tucks it into his ponytail and steps back to admire his work.

"Do I look good?" Wei Ying can't resist teasing him, thinking Lan Zhan will say one of the words especially reserved for him, like "shameless!" Or "boring!"

"Mn." Lan Zhan nods. Then he brushes a few errant strands behind Wei Ying's ear.

All the while, his heart is jackrabbiting in his chest, and breathing seems unusually hard. Wei Ying can't stop staring at Lan Zhan's mouth. His lips have always fascinated him. Today, they're shimmering with the palest pink, and Wei Ying wonders if Lan Zhan is wearing lip gloss.

Lan Zhan offers his arm, and it would be rude to refuse, so Wei Ying takes it.

It feels surreal.

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

The party is wild.

"A little get-together, my ass!" Wei Ying frowns as he looks around.

All the teachers from his school are here, and all the usual crowd.

Buffet tables of finger foods line the walls with drinks poured and waiting for thirsty mouths at intervals. It's a colourful spread with noodles and dumplings, tiny bite-sized skewers of fruits, and separately, the spicy versions with tofu and fried vegetables.

Wei Ying aims for the bar. He's surprised when Lan Zhan joins him. He's tall enough that his feet reach the floor even while he's sitting.

"What'll it be, folks?" The bartender says, giving them a big smile as he wipes at the counter.

"Emperor's Smile, and keep 'em coming." Wei Ying says, taking off his jacket and laying it across his lap.

There's a faint gasp from his right, where Lan Zhan is sitting.

"Listen, this week has been...a lot. I intend to get wasted, and I know this isn't your scene. So if you want to leave, go right ahead." Wei Ying chances a look only to find
Lan Zhan's eyes plastered to his back.

Oh.

Oh no! Wei Ying had completely forgotten about his back. This was the only shirt he could wear with this particular jacket without feeling like a tinned sardine, and the reason for that is the transparent back.

It's a silk mesh and drapes over his skin as if it isn't even there.

"My eyes are up here," Wei Ying smirks to mask his embarrassment. Might as well have some fun.

Sure enough, Lan Zhan's beautiful golden eyes dart back to his face guiltily, his ears flushing a gorgeous pink.

"What's your poison?" The bartender winks at Lan Zhan and gets glared at for his trouble.

"Er...no alcohol for him," Wei Ying quickly says. "So mocktails are fine, fruit juice and all that jazz."

"Mn." Lan Zhan can't believe Wei Ying remembers that about him. It makes him feel all kinds of warmth inside.

He not-so-discreetly moves his stool closer to Wei Ying. While the bartender goes to fetch their drinks, he turns his body towards Wei Ying.

"I am going to stay."

"Suit yourself. I'm staying right here." Wei Ying replies with a cheeky grin.

Lan Zhan aims for casualness and shrugs to Wei Ying's delight. Lan Zhan is not known for being casual.

They get their drinks, and Wei Ying giggles at what Lan Zhan has been offered. It's a sunset coloured drink with layers of red and orange and yellow liquid. There's even a little pink umbrella bobbing up and down next to the candied cherry. It's flirty and fun and the opposite of Lan Zhan's personality on the outside.

Lan Zhan pays him no attention and does NOT pick up his drink.

There's a loud slap of hand meeting skin, and Huaisang joins them, his hand lingering on Wei Ying's back.

"How're you enjoying the party?" He asks gleefully.

Lan Zhan glares at his hand pointedly until it's taken away.

Huaisang perches on the stool on Wei Ying's other side.

"Fun. Cheers," Wei Ying taps his glass first to Lan Zhan's glass, and then Huaisang's.

"Let's have a drinking game," Huaisang says after a while.

Wei Ying is on his third glass and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. He's still sober.

Lan Zhan pretends to look around himself.

He thinks about earlier that day when Huaisang met him. He had been delighting in the way Wei Ying was teaching his class when the snap of a fan closing alerted him to the enigmatic man's presence. It was either a credit to his stealth skills of creeping up on people, or the fact that Lan Zhan was mesmerised by the magnetic persona of Wei Ying captivating his attention, that Lan Zhan hadn't noticed his arrival.

With a few well thought out questions, Huaisang immediately grasped the situation and offered to help. Perhaps, 'insisted' was a better word. He made sure to extract a promise from Lan Zhan that he would definitely attend tonight's shindig, and Lan Zhan agreed easily because he knew Wei Ying would want to go.

"In Veritas Vino*," he had said, to which Lan Zhan finished off with, "In Aqua Sanitas**."

"Quite." Huaisang began fanning himself again and then jumped into conversation with Wei Ying when the latter joined them.

(*In Veritas Vino = In wine, there is truth.)
(**In Aqua Santa's = In Water, there is good sense.)

Huaisang's parties are famous and the place to be, so Lan Zhan isn't surprised to see so many familiar faces.

Jiang YanLi and the Peacock (Wei Ying's words) are slow dancing in a quiet corner, Wen Qing is definitely hustling, because there's a complicated set up of a card under a full glass of beer and a coin and a chestnut, and she's got her arms crossed over her chest with one eyebrow raised in a challenge. Mo XuanYu is the brave person trying to win whatever it is they're trying to do.

Nie MingJue is staring stonily at the doors, nursing his drink and not actually drinking it, anxiously waiting for someone.

And then Lan Zhan hears Huaisang ask a question. He refuses to move because right now, it looks like he isn't listening, but he's fully invested in Wei Ying's answer.

"So what's the deal? With ah-"

"La-...him? He's staying."

"Refills, please? Thank you!" Huaisang calls out enthusiastically.

There are more sounds of drinking and serving, the usual sloshing sounds when filling up tumblers, and the clink of ice meeting glass. When Huaisang speaks next, his voice is so low that Lan Zhan has to strain his ears to hear him.

"I hear he's courting you. And you're okay with that?"

"Courting?" Wei Ying starts giggling. "You make me sound like a heroine in a period romance! People will start shrieking, "a wrist! A wrist!"." He laughs again, but this time, it just sounds sad.

"He really did a number on you, huh?" Huaisang sounds drunk too, but then Lan Zhan has no experience to compare his findings.

Whose side is Huaisang on?

"S'not his fault," Wei Ying sounds louder.

Wei Ying's defence of him makes Lan Zhan melt. Whether he deserves it or not, this beautiful man is slowly crumbling to Lan Zhan's attention, and while it makes him incredibly happy, it's bittersweet because of his own past behaviour.

And then there's a warmth at his side, and out of the corner of his eye, he can see a mop of curly black hair resting on the bar, close enough that if Lan Zhan was to turn his head, he could get a whiff of that familiar smell, something far more intoxicating than anything this bar has to offer.

"Why? What do you mean, not his fault?"

"S' complicated."

"Do you still like him?"

Lan Zhan is so not prepared for this. His head whips around to stare daggers at the other man, but to his surprise, Huaisang grins and winks at him, with a finger to his own lips.

"What kind o' question is that?" Wei Ying lifts his head to growl at his friend and rubs his nose most adorably. He lies back down on the hard, cold counter, deeming it far more comfortable than staying upright. "Don't fall in love, A-Sang," he suddenly says, sounding sober. "You lose your heart, and you never really get it back."

Tears prick at Lan Zhan's eyes. He doesn't care about this party, or the supremely untrustworthy Huaisang, or this crazy plan he's embarked upon. No...he only cares about Wei Ying. He hates himself for his past crime, and it's futile because neither can he go back and change it, nor is there any way to make Wei Ying feel any better, other than what he's doing now.

But he must trust the process and make sure to see it through. He remembers his epiphany, and it gives him strength.

The tears fell anyway.

"But Wei-Xiong...sometimes that heart falls into the hands of a novice. Someone who has no idea what to do with it. But they can learn, right?"

How Huaisang can make innocent words sound like a threat is beyond Lan Zhan, but he nods in his direction.

Huaisang spends a minute or two studying them both before rising from his seat.

"I hope you two had a good time," his tone is dismissive, though not unkind.

Lan Zhan doesn't bother dignifying that question with an answer. But as Huaisang passes by him, he whispers, "Baby steps."

Wei Ying is barely conscious, his fingers clinging onto Lan Zhan's sleeves and then his collar as he attempts to make Wei Ying wear his jacket. In the middle of all that, Wei Ying rests his forehead against Lan Zhan's shoulder, making him tremble with shock. He's so close, and he can count every single silver speck in those brilliant diamond eyes.

"Lesh go home, Wan Zhan." And then he passes out.

Luckily, Lan Zhan's fast reflexes catch him in time. They had arrived by sword and it will be just as easy to travel back to the school like that. As he's walking out, Lan Zhan hears the soft-spoken YanLi holding Jiang WanYin back from coming to help.

As if Lan Zhan would let go of a vulnerable Wei Ying now. He refrains from rolling his eyes, but it's a close thing. Ten minutes later, they step off Bichen, and five minutes after that, Lan Zhan is tucking Wei Ying into his bed. He leaves a note, a glass of water and painkillers next to his bed, and although Lan Zhan doesn't want to leave, he thinks Wei Ying will accept it better if he's not here first thing tomorrow morning. So he retires to his own room.

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

At five a.m., Lan Zhan wakes from a restless sleep.

His first thoughts go to Wei Ying, hoping he woke during the night to take the medicine he had left for him. The idea that Wei Ying might be in any pain or discomfort was abhorrent in the way stepping on hot coals for fun was.

He completes his usual meditation and exercises, showers in record time, and then because he can't stand waiting when it comes to Wei Ying, he goes to check on him.

Whoever found the room for him is thanked silently as Lan Zhan only has to walk a few feet away to Wei Ying's room.

Thankfully, Wei Ying is turned on his left side and fast asleep, and it's with satisfaction that Lan Zhan notes the glass of water is empty and the medication has gone. He goes closer to check Wei Ying is really alright, and then because he's a weak man when it comes to his beloved, Lan Zhan leans down and presses his lips to his forehead, lingering to breath in his heavenly scent. Even the smell of stale alcohol does nothing to dilute it.

Wei Ying murmurs something in his sleep, and a slow smile transforms his face into softness.

There's a noise behind him, and Lan Zhan whirls around.

"I thought I might find you here." It's Jiang YanLi with a small smile on her face, though her expression is stern and her amethyst eyes are sharp. "Why don't you come and help me make some soup?"

Lan Zhan swallows hard and nods, following her out of the safety of Wei Ying's bedroom.

This is going to be ... interesting.

*********

The vast school kitchens are empty this early in the morning, with only a few members of staff beginning to prepare for making breakfast on an epic level.

Jiang YanLi has her own workstation, and because of her prowess in the culinary world, everyone leaves her to it.

She brings out all the ingredients she needs from the industrial sized refrigerator and lays them out, calculating in her head how much of each ingredient she will need.

Lan Zhan watches her in silence, wary of why he's here. With Wei Ying's sister, it could be a lesson in cooking (perfectly innocent), or a shovel talk (not so innocent), or both. She's unpredictable like that.

She motions for him to come closer and demonstrates how she wants the mushrooms chopped to the right size for her dish. While Lan Zhan eyes the mountain of vegetables with a little trepidation, she begins pulling out saucepans and spices.

Only when the soup is simmering on the stove does she turn to him.

"Why have you come back, Lan-Gonzei?"

"I cannot stay away from him."

"By rights, as his family, you are aware that we could have you removed."

"Mn."

"What exactly do you hope to achieve by your presence? I'm going to be honest with you. That first day, I was so angry with you. I thought, how dare he show his face anywhere near A-Xian? Do you know what you did to him?"

She's seething with furious indignation, gripping the edges of the counters with white knuckles.

The lump in his throat is as big and wide as a boulder from the high mountains, so Lan Zhan bends at the waist, bringing his hands together in a circular bow. He can't speak through feeling guilty because there's nothing she can say that he hasn't already told himself.

But she softens when he rises, looking away from his face and blinking fast. Still, a tear manages to escape from the corner of her eye.

"A-Xian was in a bad way. The rejection by itself was bad enough, but to do it so publicly was a humiliation he didn't need. I thought you were unnecessarily harsh and cruel. After...after mother kicked him out of Lotus Pier, a direct result of your actions, by the way, A-Cheng and I left, as well. My Didi was missing, and it was only good fortune, which led us to A-Qing.

"My point is, you have a steep climb ahead of you if you want to make it into our good graces. I want you to be sure that we're not going to make it easy for you."

Her gaze goes right through him.

"I would expect nothing else." Lan Zhan says, his throat hurting from how hard he has to push past the lump.

"Then? Please explain yourself." She crosses her arms over her chest, and Lan Zhan can tell that she's barely hanging onto her temper.

"I do not know what I want, beyond Wei Ying's happiness." Lan Zhan replies, after some thought.

"And do you think such indecision is appropriate when you hurt him so badly last time? Tell me, why should I trust you?"

"I don't know. I don't know how to reassure you that I will never hurt Wei Ying again. That is a surety. As for my intentions, how can I tell you that? I do not dare to presume the future or what it might hold. That I am being allowed to look after him is the greatest gift, far from anything I expected. I am still in shock," he admits.

Jiang YanLi turns to stir the pot. From her furrowed brow, Lan Zhan can see she is in deep thought.

"Then I think it would be wise to have a probationary period. We will not be lenient with you," she says, finally.

"Mn."

"One mistake on your part, and we will send you back to Cloud Recesses before you can blink. Am I clear?"

"Mn. I will be careful. Thank you, Jiang-Gunia, for allowing me to stay."

"Here. You can take this hangover soup up to A-Xian." She ladles out a generous portion into two bowls, adding four slices of perfectly toasted wholemeal bread. "I hope we can be friends." And then she gives him a big smile.

Lan Zhan has never felt so scared.