" To the last of our breaths,"

But while those two were lost in themselves, the rest of the cultivational was in upheaval. Wei Wuxian's hold on Jin Guangyao finally broke- broke the moment they came back in fact. The temple was thrust into chaos, and the juniors set off immediately, attempting to arrest the wayward Chief Cultivator, who had bolted out the instant he was released. Still, it didn't matter to the pair. nothing mattered except each other, and he'd be caught later, anyway
When the whole cultivational caught wind of this- Lan Qiren shuddered at the thought of it. As for him- Qiren stood there as still as a statue, and it was obvious to almost any Lan there he was having a mental breakdown, which was the same as, well, almost all of the people present, except for Wangxian and Lan Xichen.

His mind couldn't help but wander back to a certain woman, who'd shared so many similarities to the boy, no, man standing before him, beside his nephew now. Couldn't help but remember the days he'd spent in his youth rule-breaking, just like the youth before him. But with every one law he broke, he himself was broken further. He still heard the harsh, jarring voice of his overbearing father yelling at him, the unforgiving whips that crossed his skin, that had both disciplined and terrified him. Then came Cangse- she was lovely, beautiful indeed-but she'd loved breaking rules.

As he grew to know her, he'd considered her as a younger sister, but her particular disregard for rules would lead her to trouble, and all he'd wished to do was save her. He hadn't meant for things to turn out the way they had. He wasn't ignorant. Qiren had heard the rumors that she'd spurned him, but none of that was true. He'd only thought...if he left earlier, he'd be able to stop her. He didn't want to see her hurt by his father, which was why he took over her punishments and tried to reduce them. He'd never thought...that he'd become exactly the person he most despised. But they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree anyway, which was true. Except when it came to them.

And now...he could see that somewhat broken, shattered boy in front of him, who was oppressed in almost every way possible. And he'd been one of them. I'm sorry, he thought-I was afraid, but...I had no right to imprint it onto you.  He'd gotten so many things wrong about Wei Wuxian, he'd maligned him blindly, bullied him so much, so painfully that he had no idea if anything he could do in this life would make up for his wrongdoings- there were more than he could count, and he loathed himself for that. But he knew none of his "I'm sorry" s  would. Still, the first thing he had to do, was one of the things he'd hated the most: I'm sorry.

So he gulped down a breath of fresh air, before dragging his feet forward to meet with the couple. Dropping before his nephew and his lover, onto his knees, He bowed his head.
"Wei-Gongzi, Wei Wuxian- I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for wronging you in the past. I acknowledge that I've had some prejudices against you in the past that has affected my behavior towards you. My behavior towards you, I know, has adversely impacted you, and I apologize for my wrongdoings. I hope you're able to forgive me." 
He kept his head hanging low, not daring to look up. He shut his eyes desperately.

Unbeknownst to him, his nephew and the one addressed shared a look of surprise. Wei Wuxian looked to the kneeling man before him, smiling widely before pulling him up, even though his eyes still glittered with tears.

Lan Qiren looked to him with widened eyes. "You...You forgive me?" his tone mirrored his shock, and Wuxian couldn't help but chuckle at the old man before him. Everything seemed so exhausting.

The regret and sorrow behind his apology was genuine, but at the same time he understood that this man had hurt him, hurt his Lan Zhan before. Yet he could tell that Lan Qiren was somewhat haunted by his past. The old man may never have noticed, but Wei Wuxian found him outside Gentian house on more than one occasion, kotowing in silence, as if in apology. He remembered hearing him sobbing, talking to a grave on some nights he'd snuck out. There was no way he'd continue adding onto his pain. Not when he'd felt the same. But for what he'd done to Lan Zhan...

"I forgive you for all the things you've done to me. You've a heavy past, and I don't wish to add to the burden. On one condition-" his eyes sparked, "I get to drink as much Emperor's smile whenever I'm in Cloud Recesses!"

Hearing that, the old master smiled. "I agree to your terms, Wei- Gongzi. The rules of CLoud Recesses never applied to you anyway. I, Lan Qiren, waive the application of Gusu Lan Sect rules on Wei Wuxian."

"I forgive you, but you've forgotten to apologize to one person." This time, Wei Wuxian's voice wavered with solemnity.  His grey eyes turned steely, edging to the protective Jade beside him, softening a fraction when it met his beloved's.

My nephew. " Wangji, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did. My drastic actions...were uncalled for, and I hurt both you and Wei Wuxian. For that I apologize, and... I grant you permission to marry Wei Wuxian,  " he took another deep, steadying breath, before his knees hit the ground again.

"I'm sorry for the pain I've inflicted on you, both of you, and Xichen. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I promise you that I will try to change. And in all my power, I won't let any harm be befall the both of you."

"Mn. Uncle, get up." For the second time today, Old Master Lan found himself at a loss for words. He dared not ask his nephew, but he looked to his younger nephew, meeting his gilt eyes, and in them-
He somehow found understanding. The gold eyes that resembled his late brother's so dearly, that had glared at him in hatred and contempt, in them was odd affection, cold and varied, but still. He could see his forgiveness in his eyes, and saliva dried in Lan Queen's throat.

"Uncle, get up." Drawing his robes hastily up, the Grandmaster got up. A weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders, and although he' d still been reeling back from the truth, some part of him had guessed and ignored, shifting the blame to Wuxian.  He deserved the worst. But the couple before him were nothing if not kind. Their love, chemistry, was unmistakable, and was one that would create a legacy, lasting longer than  a lifetime. No, it would last for countless lifetimes after.

So he smiled to himself quietly, as the lovebirds in front of him entwined hands again, in pure bliss, too mesmerized with one another to care about the rest of the chaos around them.  But they'd done so much, anyway. They deserved a break, and Qiren knew he'd do whatever he could to make it true.
When it came to those two, after all, love always overpowered. Even if it took time.

Even in the darkest of nights, there are those who find light.
And even in the saddest of days one can find joy.
Sometimes the prettiest smiles are those of the fractured.
The broken eyes are of the starlit.
But to those who endure, in their own way.
Your path will always find a light.
Only time will tell.
Until then, now and forever.

---------
A/N: 1309 words! This story is finally coming to an end, and I get a qn- do you guys want extras for this story? It'll take me a while, ofc, but requests for extras here are open ❤️ take care, and thank you for reading!