The next morning, Lan Zhan leaves Jingshi earlier than usual and heads directly for the classroom. He ate his breakfast alone, needing the extra time to prepare for what he knew would be awaiting him. However, even after an extra incense stick of meditation, he still felt restless and uncertain.

What if Wei Wuxian sits next to him again? What if the boy never stops talking? It took all of Lan Zhan's focus yesterday to remain calm and listen to the instructor. He's not sure he has the patience to do it again.

As always, he is the first to arrive at the lecture hall. However, today he's extra early. Nothing has been disturbed yet. Clean calligraphy brushes lying on their white porcelain holders are ready to be picked up and dipped in the black ink prepared by the Lan juniors. Blank papers, anxiously awaiting to be filled with knowledge, have been positioned in the exact middle of each walnut desk.

Everything is in its proper place.

Everything is perfect.

Walking slowly to the front of the classroom so as not to disturb the fragile peacefulness, Lan Zhan takes his seat gracefully. He runs both open palms slowly over the blank paper in front of him, its texture a balm to his apprehensive mind. His eyes close as he concentrates on the rhythm of his breathing. Tense muscles relax until his shoulders sag the tiniest bit.

And that's when he feels it.

There's something under his paper.

Its existence was imperceptible to the naked eye. He would have never noticed it had he not smoothed his paper.

With curious caution, Lan Zhan lifts the left corner of his paper off the desk and takes a peak at his unexpected discovery. Tucked secretly beneath his sheet is a much smaller one that is folded in half. Its edges are barely frayed, a clear sign it was torn by a meticulous hand, not one that was in a hurry. Using his long slender fingers, he pulls out the concealed paper and opens it.

Good Morning

Lan Zhan studies the two characters with rapt fascination. The strokes are written with a precision he has never seen before. The ink dried before any excess could blur the smooth edges of each swipe of the brush. He is amazed at the consistency of the ink's color. Nowhere was it faded or darker than any other place.

He runs a fingertip lightly over each brush stroke, tracing the writer's detailed movements. He's mesmerized by the artist's innate talent. For Lan Zhan, this tiny note is a beautiful work of art. Everything about it tells Lan Zhan that whoever wrote it, they took their time. They made sure each character was flawless and would remain so for the test of time.

To his dismay, the first students enter the classroom, bringing with them the constant buzz of hushed chatter and breaking the peaceful bubble surrounding him. Without moving his head, Lan Zhan observes each student crossing the threshold with a questioning gaze and wonders which one of them has left him this special greeting. The message itself is simple and polite. Yet he knows there is nothing simple about the person who wrote the note now grasped firmly in his hand. Someone took a great deal of time to write these two common words. The calligraphy was done with such fine elegance it was obvious to even a common man that the penman poured their heart into every stroke.

That means that someone thinks Lan Zhan is worthy of this exquisite gift. One of these students finds him....

Interesting?

Smart?

Enchanting?

Cute?

Unexpectedly, Lan Zhan's ears feel like he's been standing in the sun too long. His pale eyes flit from student to student, all of them now present and seated at their desks, fearful that one of them will see his embarrassing predicament. Thankfully, no one seems to notice except....

"My goodness your ears are red today! Are you sick? Do you have a fever?" Wei Wuxian asks, his brow creased with concern.

"No." Lan Zhan answers sharply, quickly tucking the note inside his sleeve.

"Okay, if you say so. Thanks for saving my seat for me." Wei Wuxian plops himself down right next to Lan Zhan, bumping into him when his bum hits the cushion. "I can never wake up early enough. Back home, I was never up before the sun. Probably because I was always up late admiring the moon and drinking with my friends. You're the best partner, Lan Wangji! I promise I'll do better and save you a seat next time."

Lan Zhan cringes at the last two words. His hands fist his robes under the table. No one sees his displeasure, however. To everyone else, he is still the cold jade, unflappable and uninterested.

Throughout the entire lecture, Lan Zhan can feel the extra weight of the note in his sleeve. He longs to lay eyes on it again. The urge to touch the warmth of the paper is a temptation he's never suffered before. Because of it, today's lecture is the longest he's ever had to endure.

He's actually been so distracted by the note that he barely notices Wei Ying's whispered chatter next to him. The young man's voice becomes a quiet and steady hum in his ear, something that is both annoying yet comforting. Which is why, when it stops, Lan Zhan turns his head to see why Wei Wuxian has ceased his endless babbling.

He is met with silver eyes that sparkle like droplets of sunlight reflected on a cold winter morning's frost. Unexpectedly, his mind goes blank. In that moment, nothing else exists except those mesmerizing platinum orbs staring back at him. It's as if he's been hypnotized. He can see Wei Wuxian's lips moving but the world around him is silenced with a tranquil bliss.

"Lan Wangji."

Is he talking to me?

"Lan Er-gege?"

Why are we the only ones in the room?

"Lan Zhan!"

Golden eyes glare angrily at the young man daring to call him by his birth name.

Wei Wuxian waves his hands in front of him. "My apologies, young master Lan. I wouldn't have called you by your birth name if you had just answered my question."

Lan Zhan's right brow lifts an almost imperceivable amount. But the astute young man sitting next to him must see it because his smile grows even brighter.

"What were you thinking about, Lan Zhan, that you didn't hear me ask you if you wanted to go to Caiyi with A-Cheng and A-sang and me to have some fun?"

Lan Zhan pauses a moment. Did he hear Wei Wuxian correctly? Was he really asking him to go with him into town?

No one has ever asked him to go anywhere except for his uncle and brother. Even then it's usually because they have meetings or work to attend to. Sometimes, they stop at a few stands to buy some food or to ask the locals if there is anything they can help them with. But they've never gone just for...fun.

"Fun?" he asks, his deep voice timid with uncertainty.

"Of course fun! I've heard there are vendors from every corner of the continent selling all sorts of exotic goods. I want to look for something to take home to my shijie. Her birthday is coming up and she deserves only the best. Speaking of the best, I'm definitely going to buy some Emperor's Smile to bring back. I hear it's the strongest and most delicious wine in all the land!"

"Alcohol is forbidden in Cloud Recesses." Lan Zhan points out harshly.

"What?!" Wei Wuxian screeches. "No liquor? Are you kidding me?"

"No. Lying is also against the rules."

Wei Wuxian scratches his head. "Rules? You mean the rules that are carved into that giant rock by the main gate? Those rules?"

Wei Wuxian's voice gets higher each time he asks a question. For some strange reason, Lan Zhan finds it endearing.

"Mn."

"Ah? But there are so many! How do you remember them all?

Lan Zhan can't understand how someone could not memorize the three thousand rules their clan was based upon. Most of them were common sense. Wasn't every person taught to walk and not run? To speak quietly and not yell? Not to fight without a reason? What about not stealing?

"Wei-gongzi will learn all the rules."

Wei Wuxian's eyes widen in panic. "All of them? But...but why?"

"It is why your guardians sent you here. To learn to be a proper gentleman and righteous cultivator."

"But three thousand rules? Can't someone be a gentleman and righteous without so many restrictions?"

Wei Wuxian regards Lan Zhan with a playful grin, his silver eyes sparking with a dangerous intent. The Second Jade's concentration falters, his heart skipping a beat.

"You know, Lan Zhan," the Jiang disciple says casually. "Everyone knows a rule is written because someone did something to warrant the creation of it."

He scoots even closer to the Second Jade. Whispering into the young jade's blushing ear, Wei Wuxian theorizes, "That must mean your clan's founders must have been one hell of a dysfunctional group of cultivators."

"Nonsense." Lan Zhan snaps.

He stands up so quickly he nearly loses his balance. Thankfully, his mask of indifference remains in place. But Wei Wuxian's words have cracked it enough that Lan Zhan is forced to consider the younger man's words carefully.

What the young Jiang disciple says makes sense. Lan Zhan can't really argue against it which makes him even angrier for some reason. Unable to stop himself, he glances back down at the man dressed in black and red robes who is still smiling at him with amusement.

Without excusing himself properly, Lan Zhan takes his leave in a flurry of white robes. He strides towards the door with a frustration he's never felt before. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Wei Wuxian waving at him with enthusiasm.

"The invitation still stands, Lan Wangji." the annoying boy calls out. "We leave midday if you want to join us."

As Lan Zhan heads down the path towards the center of Cloud Recesses, his hand reaches for the note nestled within his robes. It finds the square piece of paper easily and immediately his heart steadies, his mind refocused on the flawless handwriting placed upon it. Driven to find peace and an answer to the mystery held fast in his fingers, he heads to his brother's house. 

Perhaps Lan Xichen will recognize the handwriting. His gege is older and wiser and Lan Zhan knows his xiongzhang will be able to help him locate the person who left the note under his paper.

Yet with every step he takes, silver eyes taunt him to change his direction. The echoes of bubbly laughter tempt him to forget his search. The image of bunny teeth biting down on soft plump lips dare him to pursue something he knows he shouldn't.

Lan Zhan shakes his head and strides even quicker towards Hanshi. By the time he places his foot on the first step, whatever spell Wei Wuxian had cast on him is gone. At least, that's what he tells himself as he knocks once before entering his brother's home.

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

"I'm sorry, didi. I do not recognize this handwriting."

Lan Zhan's heart drops out of his chest and into his stomach.

Lan Xichen hands back the small note to his little brother's awaiting hand. "I wish I could help you. It is exquisite, is it not?"

"Mn."

"And you say you found it under your paper in class?"

"Mn."

Lan Xichen can't help but smile. "Well, let's see if they leave another note, shall we? Maybe you can catch them tomorrow morning if you get up even earlier."

Lan Zhan's eyes light up at the idea. He's never had a mystery to solve before. Everything he knows has been taught to him. The Lan Library is filled with books, however, none of them offer anything other than insight, guidance, lessons, and philosophy. Of course he knows there are stories out there that stimulate one's imagination. Tales of dragons and maidens who need saving. Novels where the hero endures extreme hardship but in the end is victorious. And yes, he even understands that some fiction writings are about mysteries that need solving in order for justice to be served.

But that doesn't mean he's ever read any of those types of books. For some reason, he never saw the benefit in them. Why waste time reading about something that doesn't exist when a person can be learning how to enhance their cultivation or better their sword technique? That is much more useful knowledge than how to slay a made up creature or rescue a helpless young lady who refuses to lift a finger to save herself.

Xichen sees the new thoughts spinning around inside Wangji's head. He's mastered the art of understanding the subtle changes in his little brother's eyes, brows, lips, and posture. That was his first mystery he needed to solve and it took him years to find all the answers. He hopes it doesn't take that long for Wangji to find the answer he's searching for.

"Didi, you really have no idea who it could be?"

Lan Zhan gives his head two small shakes. "I do not know most of the other students."

"Well, that's understandable. It's only the second day of lessons. But there are some in your class whom you've had some contact with in the past. What about Jin ZiXuan?"

Lan Zhan's face hardens, his eyes burning a hole in the table between them.

"Okay, not Jin ZiXuan, hopefully." Xichen replies with a sighful giggle. "How about Jiang Cheng? He has a strong upbringing. It could be him."

Under his breath, Lan Zhan mumbles, "Angry grape."

"Wangji!" Xichen gasps. Then he thinks about what his little brother said. "You're not wrong, though. He is an angry grape."

The corner of Lan Zhan's mouth lifts for the briefest moment before resuming its normal impassive position.

"I know! Maybe it's the Jiang Head Disciple, Wei Wuxian. He excels at everything from swordplay to bow and arrow. Maybe he's also excellent at other things like calligraphy."

"Ridiculous." Lan Zhan blurts out.

Xichen frowns. "Why is it so ridiculous?"

"I have seen his handwriting. It is atrocious."

"Really? But he seems to be very well educated."

Lan Zhan huffs. "He is...annoying."

For a brief moment, Lan Xichen believes his baby brother. But then he sees Wangji's ears. They're the color of ripe strawberries.

Well now. This is interesting.

"You find him annoying? How so?" Xichen asks as he takes another long sip of his tea.

He sees Wangji struggling to put his emotions into words. His little brother has always had difficulty expressing himself. Especially since the death of their mother. So, Xichen waits patiently, giving Wangji the time he needs to sort things out.

He finishes his tea and sets the cup and saucer to the side. "Wangji, it's alright. You don't have to explain yourself. Let's think of another possibility. There's always Nie Huaisang. He loves the arts which makes him the perfect...."

"Sits next to me without my permission. Talks the entire lecture. Asked me to go to Caiyi for...for fun."

"Nie Huaisang?"

Lan Zhan shakes his head. "Wei Wuxian."

"Wait. Wei-gongzi asked you to go to Caiyi with him? Why didn't you go, Wangji?"

"I have duties." Lan Zhan replies firmly.

As he stands to leave, Xichen catches his sleeve. "Didi, remember what uncle and I told you before lectures?"

Lan Zhan sighs. "Only a student this year."

"Yes. You are excused from all your duties. So, there is no reason why you can't join your friend the next time he asks you to go somewhere. Alright?"

"Not my friend."

Xichen swallows the giggle building in his chest. "Well, it sounds to me like Wei-gongzi wants to be your friend considering he asked you to go to Caiyi with him. Why don't you give him a chance, Wangji? Please?"

Lan Zhan only nods in agreement.

"That's better." Xichen encourages. "Now, back to the mystery person who left you this note. Let's see if they leave another one tomorrow, shall we?"

Lan Zhan nods again. Only this time, it bounces with eager anticipation.

Tomorrow can't come soon enough. Tomorrow he will catch the person whose handwriting stirs something inside his heart. Something he can't define or contain. A feeling that is new and exciting. And one he wants to feel every day.