"What? Chang'e? Isn't Chang'e the Moon Goddess?"

"Mn."

"But why was it the Moon Goddess?"

"Why did Wei Ying see Guanyin?" Lan Zhan was still smiling.

Wei Ying tapped his nose. "Well, Guanyin is the Mercy Goddess. She heard all my pleas, and so knows me really well. That's probably why it was she who met me. Mercy, compassion, that's what she represents, right A-Zhan?"

Lan Zhan nodded. "Mn. Then what does Chang'e represent?"

"Oh? The Moon. Femininity. Right?" Wei Wuxian felt he missed something.

"Mn. But also one more thing."

Click! "Oh I know!" And then time stopped. Wei Wuxian knew what it was. Was that why Chang'e met him? But... He slowly took Lan Zhan's hand in his and kissed it. "I know. Unrequited love."

"Mn."

"But... but... A-Zhan," Wei Ying's cheeks were soaked with teardrops again. "A-Zhan, why? I do love you, you know that right? Please do trust me, A-Zhan, I really really do love you! A-Zhan, don't you trust that woman, Chang'e must be out of her mind. She's wrong, she's lying, she's crazy, she's–"

"A-Ying, don't talk about a Goddess like that."

"But... Lan Zhan... do you really not believe me? You believe her more?"

Lan Zhan looked into his eyes: Wei Ying's eyes were brimming with tears, sorrow, insecurity and dread. "A-Ying, I do believe in her."

Wei Ying let go of the jade hand. Smiling sadly and nodding, he was about to turn away to go off to godknowswhere when Lan Zhan pulled him back into his arms.

"Idiot."

Wei Ying's eyes widened. "Did you just say such a word?"

"Mn. I trust Chang'e, but I trust Wei Ying too. It's you I love, not Chang'e," Lan Zhan said, the smile not once leaving his face.

"Then what's all that shit about unrequited love?"

Lan Zhan pulled him back so they could see eye-to-eye. "Guanyin heard your pleas. Chang'e heard mine."

Gradually, Wei Ying's tears increased in number and flow speed. "A-Zhan... was it back then? Back when I died–"

Lan Zhan forced his lips against Wei Ying's for a few seconds, bit them hard, then pulled back again. "Don't say that word. Ever."

Wei Ying nodded with an apologetic smile.

"Yes, Chang'e heard my woes back then. So she knows me well."

"Oh." Wei Ying looked up at the moonlight and cried, "Sorry, Chang'e! Forgive my words!" He turned back to Lan Zhan. "So what did she say?" He asked, hooking his hands around Lan Zhan's neck, hanging on his body as relief flooded through him.

"She apologised. Said all she could do was try and alter your Fate to let you return. She was glad it worked. Then she gave that wine, because back then I'd..." Lan Zhan's ears turned pink with embarrassment. "I'd shout into the sky asking you to come back, that I'll give you as much wine as you like. She heard that." 

Wei Ying kissed them tenderly and smiled. "I see. She told you about a gift too?"

"Mn. Said I'll get in due time and that I deserve it for sticking by your side all along."

"Wait, so you're being gifted because of me? Not for your own skill?"

Lan Zhan shook his head. "Wei Ying is being gifted for his sacrifices. I'm being gifted for my greatest skill."

"What's that?"

"Loving you. Protecting you."

It was Wei Ying's turn to go red as Lan Zhan kissed his forehead.

"A-Zhan?"

"Mn?"

"Did you see Chang'e's Jade Rabbit?"

"She knew we both loved rabbits so she showed me. Beautiful."

Wei Ying dragged Lan Zhan to sit beside him on the steps, staring up at the night sky. Wei Ying could easily see the shape of the rabbit on the moon. "That Jade Rabbit. A-Zhan, you know, I don't even know the story. Shijie told me of the existence of the Jade Rabbit and of it being Chang'e's companion. I wasn't interested back then, I was a child: I felt bored thinking it was another useless romantic fairytale. What's the story behind the two?"

"You don't know?" Lan Zhan's voice rang with incredulousness.

"Well, I spent most of my childhood on the streets, A-Zhan," Wei Ying muttered.

Lan Zhan nodded. "Then, I'll tell you. Chang'e was a servant girl working at the Heavenly Palace. Once she broke a porcelain pot. The Heavenly Emperor banished her to the mortal realm. Down here, she was a beautiful woman. One day, the Sun Goddess's ten sunbirds rose into the sky, leaving ten suns that burnt the world. An archer called Houyi shot down nine of them. He was gifted the elixir of immortality. Houyi became King. He had long ago met Chang'e; he married Chang'e. Chang'e loved her husband. She was given the elixir to keep it safe because Houyi didn't want to be immortal without Chang'e. Someone came to steal the elixir when Chang'e was all alone; Chang'e was forced to consume it to prevent it from falling in wrong hands. Houyi was furious and chased her. Chang'e had to jump from a balcony of the Palace but instead of falling to the ground, with some blessing, she floated up to the Moon. She's been in the Moon Palace ever since, with the Jade Rabbit, who is always making the elixir of immortality."

Wei Ying gasped. One, that was the first time Lan Zhan had ever spoken continuously for such a long time. Two, what a tale. "I see. But the Jade Rabbit? I remember seeing a poem that described it as selfless, but why?"

Lan Zhan took a deep breath. He'd never talked this much in all his life. "The Jade Emperor disguised himself as a weak, old man sometime later and begged for food. There were four animals: otter, jackal, monkey and rabbit. The Otter gathered fish from the river nearby, the Monkey brought fruit and the Jackal stole some milk curds. All the Rabbit could give was grass. It knew humans can't live on grass, so it offered its own body, jumping into the fire the old man lit up. The rabbit was left untouched and unburnt, because the Jade Emperor revealed himself. He sent it to the Moon Palace–"

"That's how he became the Immortal Jade Rabbit?"

"Mn."

"Wow. Ah right right, this other poem, Huaisang showed it once. The Jade Rabbit. It symbolises selflessness and piety. Righteousness. self-sacrifice." 

That reminded Lan Zhan of something. He pulled out something from within his sleeve and placed it on Wei Ying's lap.

Wei Ying, enraptured with the stars, Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit on the Moon, jumped at the sudden pat on his lap. He looked down.

On his lap sat a minuscule white ornament. White fur, chubby and fluffy. Occasional glistening pink marks on the snow-white fur marking its regality and supernaturalness. Brilliant red eyes and long, curving ears. Carved out of the finest jade. A figurine of the Jade Rabbit.

"Woah, A-Zhan, did she give this to you?"

"Mn. Self-sacrificing. Selfless. Righteous. A-Ying."

Wei Ying gasped. "She and you both believe the Jade Rabbit and I are alike?"

"Mn."

Wei Ying pfft-ed. "A-Zhan, do you think I'm a soft little bunny for you to play with?"

"Mn."

"A-ZHAN!" Wei Ying thrashed his fists against Lan Zhan's arm, chuckling shyly.

"A-Ying?"

"Yes, my love?"

Lan Zhan nodded to the moon. "She said that I can take this with me wherever I go to remind me of you. She told you would know what to do with it."

"Huh?"

"Even I don't know. But she said you will." Lan Zhan turned to him. "What did she mean?"

Wei Ying wondered. "Well, we do already have our rings for communication... Jade Rabbit... Sacrifice... I'll have to think of that. I think it's got something to do with sacrifice." Seeing the horror in his husband's eyes, he laughed. "No, A-Zhan, I won't be sacrificing myself. This must be for something else. Oh right! Isn't the Moon Immortal the one who usually ties the red string of fate? Right, I got it!"

Wei Ying pointed to his forehead, drawing out a thread of his energy. He directed his energy into the Jade Rabbit statue. Half of the figurine turned blood-red.

"A-Zhan, do the same."

Lan Zhan obeyed. The remaining half of the figure turned turquoise. Then, Wei Ying took the statue in his hands and shook it rapidly, before placing it back on his lap.

Lan Zhan watched, flabbergasted, as Wei Ying's red and his blue entwined and mixed. Eventually, the red and the blue faded off into a white again. But as soon as the white reappeared, the Jade Rabbit burst into a brilliant diamond glow. The two watched in awe as the white light enwrapped them. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan held hands as they breathed in the wholesome luminescence, letting the pure white light enter their cores. They felt light tugs but remained still, anxious and excited to see what was to happen. A few minutes passed before the white light receded from view again, and the Jade Rabbit's figurine returned to its deceiving defunct state. Feeling the peculiar tug on their cores, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan looked down.

Both gasped.

**********

"Sect Leader Lan, do you mean to say the Seal has finally been demolished?" A round and fat man asked.

"Yes, Clan Leader Yao," a far serener voice replied.

"But how can you prove it?"

"You need to be shown its remains? What, so you can steal the Seal and turn into another Jin Guangyao?" Zidian crashed at Xichen's side. 

"Wanyin, control yourself."

"Tell this idiot to shut up first."

"Wanyin!"

"Alright alright." Jiang Cheng retreated Zidian and shut his mouth. All Yaos are the same, he thought. Plain idiots.

"Sect Leader Lan, this is great news. When did this happen?"

"Two days ago, Clan Leader Ouyang."

"Oh. Then why did you delay announcing?"

"Because it's rude to have a party without me!" A loud, raucous, cheery voice echoed in the Caiyi inn.

The clan leaders and sect leaders turned to see Hanguang-Jun and the Yiling Laozu walking in. "Clan Leader Ouyang, I didn't see your son today?"

Clan Leader Ouyang stood up with the others. Wei Wuxian halted. "Wait why are you guys rising? Oh, him," Wei Wuxian smiled at Lan Zhan.

"No, you." Lan Zhan smiled back.

"Huh?"

"Master Wei, thank you," all the clan and sect leaders, excluding the Jade and Pride, bowed to him together.

"For what!"

"For destroying that thing. Thank you for bringing peace," another clan leader voiced everyone's thoughts.

"Sect Leader Fang, you don't need to thank for that." Wei Wuxian walked to them and raised Clan Leader Ouyang up by his elbows. "I met Zizhen on the way, I hope he's not roaming around but headed to Cloud Recesses?"

"Yes, Master Wei."

"Good. You're a great father, you know, Zizhen loves you a lot," Wei Wuxian beamed at him and waved to the others. "Hey, all of you please sit!" 

Clan Leader Yao pointed to a pair of seats at the head of the table, beside the Jiang and Lan sect leaders. Wei Wuxian nodded and dragged Lan Wangji with him to sit. Then, the others took their seats.

"Ge, how's it going?"

"Perfect," Lan Xichen smiled with a nod.

"We should announce this to the people," a thin sect leader spoke.

"Yes," Clan Leader Yao said, "we'll start with our own clans and sects. After all, the common people know hardly anything about it all anyway."

"Yes, that should do," Lan Xichen nodded.

"Well, then, that's settled." Jiang Wanyin stood up. "We'll all inform it to all the people under our lead, in our territories. Erase the stains on Wei Wuxian's name."

"Yes," another familiar voice finally spoke up from behind a golden fan. "All of you better also declare that Wei-xiong is no longer the Yiling Laozu. He's the Yingxiong Laozu. Understood?" He waved his fan at the others.

"Yes, Sect Leader Nie."

Wei Wuxian stood to stand beside Jiang Cheng, while Jiang Cheng picked up Sandu, ready to leave. "I think there's no use in me being modest, so thank you all," Wei Wuxian said as he tugged on Lan Zhan's sleeve. Lan Wangji rose to stand beside him. "Ge, come we'll go sit there and have a drink," Wei Wuxian called.

Lan Xichen smiled and nodded to the other leaders, excusing himself to go sit with his brothers.

"Waiter!"

A spindly man ran to Wei Wuxian's side. "What does this Master need?"

"Hm. I'm in a good mood so I'll make each of you three drink one whole jar. So three. Plus... I'll have five. Bring eight jars of Emperor's Smile."

Without a word, Lan Wangji placed a block of silver on the table. The waiter stared. "E–Eight? Master, you alone having five..."

"Oh, don't you have eight?"

"Of course we do! But EIGHT?"

"He's good with alcohol," Xichen nodded.

"Woah." The waiter ran off to bring back eight jars of wine. "Five jars of Gusu's alluring and strong Emperor's Smile is exceptional! Master, may I know who you are?"

Wei Wuxian opened one jar and gulped it down in one go. Smacking his lips and wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he grinned.

"Yingxiong Laozu, Pride of Yunmeng, Seniormost Disciple of the YunmengJiang Sect, Partner of Hanguang-Jun, Wei Wuxian. Right, A-Cheng? A-Zhan? Ge?"

The three were beaming as they chorused. "Of course." 

Jin Rulan and Nie Huaisang joined them, smiling at Wei Wuxian's announcement. "Finally," Nie Huaisang grinned.

"Rulan, you'd miss Zizhen if you stay here!" Wei Wuxian waved to his son.

"I'll go. Daddy?"

"Hm?"

Jin Ling leaned in to whisper. "Can I have a sip?"

Wei Wuxian chuckled. "No, your Jiujiu will break my legs. Your Father... will suck the life out of me. No way. Wait till you've graduated."

Jin Ling nodded and ran off to Cloud Recesses, catching up with Zizhen along the way.

The three sect leaders at the table exchanged knowing glances, waiting for the minor ones to leave. Once they'd left, leaving them in that side of the inn, Nie Huaisang nodded to the other two. Jiang Wanyin nudged Xichen.

"Didi?"

Wei Wuxian passed Lan Zhan's bottle of wine to Huaisang as he asked "Ge?"

"What's up with the two of you?"

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying looked up. "What do you mean?"

Xichen shook his head. "I don't know how to describe it."

"Oh nothing just this heavenly aura literally sparkling around you guys, all pure and calming, nothing at all," Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes.

"Ah..." Wei Ying smiled and glanced at Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan nodded. "Want to see?" Wei Ying asked the questioning three, who also nodded.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan held hands and focussed to let their spiritual and demonic energies flow out. The Nie, Jiang and Lan sect leaders stared in amazement at the reddish white thread connecting the two chests.

"A-Xian, what's this thread?"

"A-Cheng, you clearly don't know your poetry. Nie-xiong, teach him!"

Nie Huaisang grinned. "Red thread of fate. But the cultivators' version. That thread, its red depicts Wei-xiong's demonic energy and the white must be for Ji-xiong's energy."

"They're core-bound!" Lan Xichen exclaimed.

The couple nodded happily.

Lan Xichen sighed. "This is great, but you two need to take care now. Wuxian-di, if something happens to you..."

"I know, gege. If I meet my end, so will Lan Zhan. I'll have to take care."

"At last. No more sacrificing for you," Jiang Cheng sneered.

Hmph. Taunting me again are you? My turn! Wei Wuxian grinned.

"Well, enough about us," Wei Ying let go of Lan Zhan's hand, dismissing the visibility of the thread. The second and third jar of wine had finished long ago. Taking a fourth, he faked an innocent face and asked, "A-Cheng, you better tell me all about this woman of yours."

"WHAT?"

"Woman? Wei-xiong, has Jiang-xiong found his match at last?"

"Clearly. How else could she leave a love bite like that?"

Jiang Cheng flushed purple. "What love bite?"

"The one on your neck of course. Not the right side," which was the side Xichen sat by. "The left side, Nie-xiong can you see it?" His face partially hidden by the wind jar, he winked at Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang winked back. Fanning his fan, he squealed. "Goodness me! Jiang-xiong, you better cover it up with some rouge next time. Oh wait, not rouge, powder. Rouge would make it worse," he burst out laughing.

Jiang Cheng's hand shot to his neck. "Nonsense!"

"But I'm not lying! A-Zhan, you can see it too, right?"

"Mn."

"WHAT!"

"A-Cheng, you better tell me who this woman is. Someone I know?"

"YOU–"

"Woman?" A soft voice spoke. Jiang Cheng turned to see Lan Xichen staring at him. But not just staring. Those ocean-deep eyes weren't twinkling with laughter but drooping with a strange sorrow. Disappointment. Pain. 

"Xi–Xichen? Xichen look there's nothing of the sort–"

Lan Xichen preferred actions not words. He reached out across Jiang Cheng's back to place his hand on the left side of his neck. Wei Wuxian was having the time of his life watching Jiang Cheng's face begin to scorch like chilli under Lan Xichen's touch. He put his arm around Huaisang's shoulder leaning in to borrow the shelter of the fan, silently shaking with laughter just as Huaisang was. Not that the two in question noticed.

"Xi–Xichen, I swear–"

"Nothing's there." Xichen retreated to his former posture and looked at Jiang Cheng. "Didi must have been joking."

Jiang Cheng took the opportunity to interpret the reaction in Xichen's eyes: relief. Joyous, sweet relief. He was worried I had a mistress? Why? His neck stinging at the space Xichen touched, he diverted his attention to his wine, one hand subconsciously clenching the side of his neck. He swallowed all that was in the jar in one gulp, then turned to his brother. "Wei Wuxian! What was that all about?"

Wei Wuxian snatched the fan from Huaisang. Flapping it against his face, he cried in a high-pitch voice, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know anything!"

"Wei-xiong!" Huaisang grabbed his fan back and started smacking Wei Wuxian with it. "Dare to mock me, huh?"

While Wei Wuxian flailed his hands at Huaisang, parrying and striking, he suddenly felt himself being dragged away. He sighed with a pout, stilling his body. The dragging stopped when his back hit a pillar of jade.

"A-Zhan, what now?"

"Stay with me."

Wei Wuxian chuckled at his husband's easy jealousy, shaking his head.

"Wei-xiong, remember what you said years ago when the three of us drank like this? That night when Ji-xiong came in?"

"Ha! Why not!" Wei Wuxian leaned on his husband as he took up the last bottle. "Admired this, didn't I?"

"Yes. 'Fragrant and mellow, refreshing but not too aggressive, smooth and powerful.' That's what you said."

"True. Wasn't just the wine, I guess." Wei Wuxian looked at his husband. "And I still say the same," Wei Wuxian winked at Lan Zhan, making the latter's ears turn red hot.

"Right, no wonder I felt that you were describing a person not a wine," Jiang Cheng scowled.

"Well, I was describing the wine, but it's applicable for A-Zhan too! But forget me, Nie-xiong, remember A-Cheng's conditions?"

Nie Huaisang laughed. "Why would I forget? Jiang-xiong, did you find that a-bit-of-this-but-not-too-much-of-that girl of yours?"

Jiang Cheng did everything in his power to not side-glance at the other friend sitting beside him. "Nie-xiong, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes. 'Fine beauty is just like a great wine'. Where's your fine beauty?"

"I have found her! I'm as successful as Wei-xiong. Just that... I'm not so sure about the not-being-aggressive part..."

"NIE HUAISANG!"

Everyone turned to see if Nie Mingjue had come back to life. But no, though the tone was as stern and the undercurrent as commanding, the voice was prettily feminine.

"Xu-Xuanji?"

"You left me outside so you can have a drink?!" Chen Xuanji stormed into the inn, stopping to stand beside her sect leader.

Wei Wuxian decided to help. "Xuanji-mei, hello! Why don't you have a drink with us?"

Chen Xuanji huffed, but flopped down beside Huaisang and grabbed Wei Wuxian's bottle, pouring the wine down her throat.

"Hey, just like back then, huh? Not bad! I thought you'd lost your touch," Wei Wuxian grinned. "You were one hell of a drinking partner, though you drank rarely, like Wen Qing."

Xuanji, having finished the bottle, wiped her mouth. "Thank you, Wuxian-ge. Huaisang, are you coming home or not? If not, I'm leaving."

"Hey, Xuanji, wait! Wei-xiong, Ji–"

"Aish, greet us later, now go catch her!"

The four watched as Huaisang chased Xuanji outside. 

**********

Two fathers and three sons sat together in the Jingshi. The whole world had been informed of Wei Wuxian's victory. People were beginning to accept the Yingxiong Laozu. The three sons had never felt prouder.

"Father?"

"Mn?"

"Is this the right drawing?"

Lan Zhan looked up to see a neatly done, detailed drawing of a sword-attack step. He nodded.

"Jin Ling, add this to your stack," Jingyi handed it to Jin Ling, took another paper from Sizhui's stack of blank sheets and drew another. The three sons were drawing out Wei Wuxian's scribbled notes to Jin Ling on Lan moves adapted to the Jin style. Lan Zhan was supervising, helping out. Wei Ying lay on Lan Zhan's lap.

"Why is Daddy tired? Did you do something again?"

"No, A-Yuan," Wei Ying chuckled. "You'd never guess how tiring it is to teach the little ones all day."

"Wei Ying should let me do it."

"But they're sweet and fun!"

"Daddy's a baby too, of course he'll feel good with them."

"Jin Rulan! Dare you to say that again!" But Wei Wuxian was laughing.

Jin Ling laughed. "Daddy's a baby!"

Wei Wuxian snatched Lan Zhan's paintbrush and hurled it at his son. The three sons laughed while the brush flew over their heads and crashed against the door. Still lying on Lan Zhan's lap, Wei Ying asked, "Who taught you that?"

"Father did," Jin Ling chuckled.

"Lan ZHAN! How could you? I'm not a baby!" Wei Wuxian cried, pouting just like a baby.

Lan Zhan nodded. "Wei Ying is not."

"Ah? Father!"

"Bunny."

The children rolled on the floor at the sight of a red Wei Ying wriggling to bury his ashamed face in Lan Zhan's chest, away from the sniggering children. He whispered so that only his husband could hear. "Wait till they're gone."

Lan Zhan wasn't angry, he was delighted. "Mn."

While the three children went on drawing, Wei Ying lay curled up, his head on Lan Zhan's lap, deep in Lan Zhan's chest, while Lan Zhan had his hands around him, hugging him close. Wei Ying felt a lot better after Guanyin's herbs, his core was recovering from its loss, too. Lan Zhan would incessantly pass spiritual energy to him, through their core-bond. Wei Ying tried to convince him to not do that, but Lan Zhan wouldn't stop. Even at that very moment, Lan Zhan let spiritual energy flow into his husband's core. Wei Ying smiled into the white robes, ignoring the constant curious pangs of pain that shot through him with each inflow of pure energy. While Wei Ying lay there, cozy and warm, he dozed off, dreaming of Chang'e and the Immortal Jade Rabbit, red threads of fate, and A-Zhan.