Wei Wuxian reappeared in Gusu, amidst a cloud of blue smoke. Curiously, he had popped up at Lan Wangji's study. But Lan Wangji wasn't there.

"Where is A-Zhan? Oh, let's check the Jingshi," Wei Wuxian smiled at the memory of his beloved home and headed towards it.

Somewhere in the middle of the compound, he stopped in his tracks. He could hear shouting. "Shouting in the Cloud Recesses is prohibited!" He sniggered, stroking an imaginary goatee. He was about to turn and walk on to his home, when–

"LAN WANGJI!"

Wei Wuxian's heart skipped a beat. Isn't that Uncle's voice? Oh no... He rotated to face the direction of the Hall, where the shouts were coming from, and ran, adrenaline pumping and heart racing faster and faster with each step.

Wei Wuxian crashed through the doors. "Lan Zhan!" He shouted, looking around the Hall to find his husband some distance in front of him, kneeling. Kneeling? Not just him, Xichen-ge and his own Junior Brother were kneeling too. No... not again...

"Shifu!"

"Wei Wuxian, here you are! Just where did you run off to?" Qiren's voice was brimming with fury.

Xichen and Jiang Cheng didn't know what to do. Here was the demon's master. The cultivator of what Qiren called 'evil'. What will Lan Qiren do with him now?

Lan Zhan, on the other hand, was in no mood to let Wei Ying bear the responsibility, even if it meant getting whipped again. He was pleading with his eyes to Wei Ying, telling him to teleport away now. 

But Wei Ying never would listen.

"Shifu, what is going on?" Wei Ying's voice was threatening.

"Wei Ying, I HAVE accepted that you are a demonic cultivator, but who gave you the permission to let your DEMONS mingle with MY NEPHEWS!"

"Shifu, Lan Zhan didn't mean it, it's just that the demon you say wanted to help him–"

"NO ASSOCIATION WITH EVIL! LAN WANGJI, I've engraved it into your back do you want me to etch it into your head, too?"

"NO! Shifu," Wei Wuxian began to walk up to the furious uncle. "Shifu, back then, Lan Zhan was whipped becuase of me. He associated with me. I can accept that I am evil, but not Xiangxiang. Xiangxiang is one of my closest, and she generously helped your nephew to find me, she's a good person. If Lan Zhan ever associated with any evil, it's me. I'm the evil one. Punish me if you want to, but do NOT TOUCH Lan Zhan."

Lan Qiren stared at the younger man. Wei Wuxian had walked right up to his face, and though his voice and words were pleading, his eyes weren't. They only said one thing: if he did punish his nephew, he would probably breathe his last.

"Hmph. So this demoness has a name?"

"Shifu, since you are senior to us you obviously know the Scarlet Seductress. Xiangxiang is only a slit-throat because that what she is cursed to be. And A-Zhan only did this to find me. It's my fault. Please–"

"Quiet! I've tolerated this enough!" Qiren was about to reach the peak of his anger. His hadn't raised to signal for a whip.

"NO! Shifu, with all due respect, LISTEN to me! Xiangxiang... She healed your nephew's wound!"

Qiren stopped his hand in mid-air. "What wound?"

Oh dear, now what? I really do only know to mess things up...

But he didn't have to do much to make amends.

"Shifu, it was me. I was angry at Wei Wuxian for not coming with us, so I lost control of Zidian..." he whispered the last words. Looking up to see Qiren giving Wei Ying a once-over, he hastily continued, "But it didn't hit him..."

Understanding dawned upon Lan Qiren as he pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head impeccably. Why does my nephew have to be like this?

"And this demoness healed him?" He asked, clearly addressing Wei Wuxian again, still with his fingers pinching his nose.

"Ask them," Wei Wuxian nodded behind his back.

"Xichen?"

"Yes, Shufu, it's true."

"Jiang Cheng?"

"Yes, Shifu."

Lan Qiren heaved a long sigh. Standing up, he walked to Wei Ying. Wei Ying closed his eyes, readying himself to be slapped in the face any moment now. But instead he found himself gasping in pain.

Two old, yet still strong arms clenched around both of his, ageing eyes looking into his. "The demoness healed him, or you did?" Wei Wuxian didn't know how to respond. He just crimsoned and looked down at his feet.

"Fine. For this time, I'll let you four off. But Wei Ying, don't make this a habit!"

"Sure, Shifu, I swear!" He threw up three fingers in oath. The few elders who were there laughed at the childish candour in the Yiling Patriarch's eyes.

"Master Wei, could you tell us what's going on?" The Lan Doctor, now a good friend of Wei Wuxian's, asked.

"I will explain all. But a moment, please. A-Zhan, Gege, A-Cheng, get up." He walked over to Lan Zhan.

"A-Zhan, I'm so sorry for running off like that. But don't you worry — I don't think I'll be doing that again," he reassured him, smiling a smile that never reached the eyes. 

"Elders, Shifu, you three, I'll explain everything I've found out."

**********

A good fifteen minutes later, three elders, an uncle with a goatee, two Jades and two Prides sat in a ring around a table at the centre of the Hall, each with a cup of tea.

Lan Qiren took the teapot to his hands. Immediately, Wei Wuxian took the teapot from him and silently poured out tea to everyone. Qiren watched his nephew-in-law, internally smiling.

"So, Master Wei, you're saying this man leads a group of Jin rebels, took the Seal from the tomb, and wants to avenge his master's death? And he's so close to Jin Guangyao that he actually killed that little boy Rusong?" An Elder summed it all up neatly.

"Precisely, Elder An."

"If he was that cruel-hearted i don't see why he can't kill a few other grown men anyway," another spoke.

This time, Wei Ying was silent. Lan Zhan made a mental note to look into his strange behaviour later.

The second Elder spoke again. "But what I don't understand is..."

"What is it, Elder Ning?"

Elder Ning, Elder An and the third exchanged glances. Now the third spoke. "Master Wei, how do you explain how this man actually managed to pass all our guards, all those Jiangs, Nies and Lans. Not to mention their own Jins?"

"Its exactly that, Elder Chen. Their own Jins," Wei Wuxian grinned.

"Oh... Of course, they could've gotten in through their own side of the tomb," Elder Chen slowly nodded.

"Yes, its possible," Elders An and Ning agreed.

"Only one way to find out. Interrogate the ones there that day," Qiren spoke.

Xichen shook his head. "But Shufu, they're still being treated right?"

"No, they're better now. Doctor left now to check on them since they've awoken."

Treated? What happened to them? But no, these weren't problems that Wei Wuxian was going to handle anyway, so why ask?

The others nodded in agreement. The four major Sect Leaders would interrogate the guards, along with the three Elders and the doctor — who would have to check on their health throughout. Elder Ning and Jiang Cheng agreed to talk to Jin Ling about the situation. Xichen would send a letter to Huaisang. Nobody gave the couple a single thing to do, knowing that they needed some alone time. And neither of the two asked. 

**********

Two husbands silently walked toward the Jingshi. Not s single word or glance passed through them.

Wei Wuxian waited outside while Lan Wangji walked on and opened the door. He left it open. After Lan Zhan had gone in, Wei Ying moved forth, shutting the doors behind him. He turned.

Slam! Wei Wuxian found himself pushed against a wall, both his hands held tightly above his head, a face of pale white jade shimmering before him. Wei Wuxian watched silently, grinning, letting his husband take absolute control of him.

Lan Zhan didn't make a single sound; not a single word left his mouth as he tied Wei Ying's wrists together with Wei Ying's own red ribbon. Then, holding this by one hand, he pulled out something else with the other. Bringing their chests close together, he brought whatever was in his other hand to Wei Ying's ear.

Rattle! Rattle! Bang! Bong! A rattle drum? Wei Ying smiled at Lan Zhan. He didn't need to speak, his eyes said it all: Yes, A-Zhan, that little beggar-boy was me.

"Then how did you realise it was me?" Lan Zhan finally spoke to him.

Wei Ying threw his head back and laughed. "Your funeral robes! Even back then you were wearing mourning clothes!"

"When did you recognise me?"

Wei Wuxian sighed softly. "Too late. Only some time after I resurrec–"

His words were stopped halfway by another pair of lips gently claiming his own.

"Never too late. A-Ying, you're not evil."

Wei Ying just smiled that terrible smile. But Lan Zhan was in no mood to discuss anything serious right now.

"A-Ying, don't leave me again," Lan Zhan said, moving back to make the smallest space between them.

"I won't, A-Zhan."

"Good." Lan Zhan smiled. Wei Ying wondered how his mere upturn of the lips could brighten up his whole life as he let himself be gently picked up and placed on their bed, all the while, lips never parting.