So a little oneshot, coz it's been on my mind and I wasn't bothered to start up a whole new book on it, hehe. 

In case yall get confused with the ages here, Lan Xichen's the oldest, Jiang Cheng's next [poor fellow has to be the older one for once]. Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang are fifteen-year-olds at the start, both same age. 

Wei Wuxian... you'll see! 😉 

Hope you guys enjoy this! Thanksie for reading and have a great day/night, sweethearts! 

CHEERS TO EVERLASTING LOVE! 🥂

♥️ WXLL! 

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Gentle golden warmth dappled the jet-black hair dancing in the breeze, bathing it in the sunlight, tousling it up tenderly to fill its roots up with the summer breeze. Car rides were always relaxing. Long, smooth and stress-free. Either you just sat in the back, laid down and listened to the radio playing your all-time favourite pop songs. Or you sat at the driver's seat, gripping the wheel, riding on and on down the curvaceous bumpy road just to feel the wind in your hair and breathe in the summer scents all around you, while also letting go of all burdens, all worldly woes. All you would do is focus on keeping the car going, headed straight on, observing how the winding road twirled and twisted, anticipating what was to come around the bends.

Just like life, Lan Wangji thought. You keep going on, either knowing your destination, or just following the path you see. Lots of twists and turns. Never know what's around the corner.

But, of course, everything's alright as long as you hold onto the wheel tightly. In firm control of your journey.

But then... Gege said there are times when you lose control of the wheel and the tyres, when you skid across the road into a pit you'd never climb out of... Said the reason tends to be a strange person that makes your innards writhe... 

Lan Wangji frowned. Gege's been saying weird stuff these days. All after that Jiang Wanyin came as a guest to the company's conference, Lan Wangji shook his head. Jiang Wanyin seems to be affecting gege's mentality a lot. Skidding into a chasm... What did he call it again?

Ah, yes. Something called love. Heard of it many times... Wonder what it is... he shrugged as he signalled to the driver to turn up the radio of his Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Turning around a sharp bend into a lane that drove up a gradual hill, the fellow at the front honked the horn to let the guards know Lan Wangji had arrived and drove the young boy through the tall iron gates into his family's old estate house.

Little did he know... that the one bend he turned around will lead to that very chasm of sweet doom...

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Rrrriiing! Creak! "Yes?" The butler looked up and down the young lad standing at the door. "Would this be Second Young Master Lan?"

"Mn."

"Welcome, Second Young Master Lan," the butler bowed to him and let him in.

At last, he was here. He remembered leaving home when he was five, to follow his Mother on her business trip abroad. Mother and son had stayed there before and he had started school in London, returning only for high school. They came back to China and reunited with Lan Wangji's father and elder brother. Now that he was back, Wangji would pursue his higher studies at high school and then a top university in China. He and his family had it all planned: he would major in both Music and Business, staying at his apartment in the city until his brother called him back to this very family home to help run the estate. He would help the family run their business, Seraphim Tea. Famous nationwide for its supreme jasmine and chamomile tea. 

So here he was, for a few months' break from studies before beginning high school.

"Didi!" Lan Xichen exclaimed, wrapping his strong arms around his baby brother's torso.

Lan Wangji nodded into his shoulder. "Gege, happy to see you."

"So am I!" Xichen beamed at him and ran his fingers through the messed up hair. "Look at your hair! Came in your convertible with the roof down again?"

"Prefer the wind to the A/C."

"I know you through and through, no need to tell me that. Like I always say, you're too mature for your age," Xichen smiled, guiding Wangji into the house to meet his parents. 

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Lan Wangji spent a whole week unpacking, settling down at the place, getting used to the new atmosphere, the barely steep hills and the sunshine. The area was far sunnier and more tranquil than the city had ever been.

And when it came to getting used to new things, fifteen-year-old Lan Wangji took quite long to adapt. Being the cold-hearted introvert he was, changing himself, his routine, his habits in order to fit into a new environment was like making a starburst plant grow in a desert.

Nearing the threshold of impossibility.

So he spent his first week there adjusting, adapting, adhering to the newness in his new life. He would start working at the family business after studies, working as the Vice-President under his brother, the President and CEO. As for his love of music, he would take it up as a leisurely hobby, play when he had the time, research more on Chinese ancient pieces and learn more.

Up here in the hills, Lan Wangji had all the time in the world to do what he wished.

So on the eighth day there, after breakfast, when his retired father left with his mother to the town square for a jolly ride, he took a quiet walk around the house. It was a Sunday and only his gege and himself — and gege's assistant and the household servants — were at home. He trudged up the stairs to each floor and took a stroll around the rooms and suites and studies. His father's study was by far the most interesting, having been filed to the brim with science books and business books side by side. Ironic how the two could clash so well together, Lan Wangji smirked as he walked out of the study and checked his brother's and his own.

"Hello, didi!"

"Gege," Lan Wangji nodded as he walked into Lan Xichen's study.

"What's up?"

"Walking around the house."

"Good, good, have a good look."

Having scanned Xichen's book collection, Wangji walked back to the door. Just before he shut it, Xichen called out. "Wangji!"

"Gege?"

"You may walk around, but try and avoid the room on the second floor. There's a lot of rooms but I'm talking about the one whose door has a red curtain covering it."

"Mn," Lan Wangji, never the one to ask questions, nodded and shut the door behind him. Up he went to the upper floors.

Having checked all the floors, he plodded down the stairs to head back to his own study.

But suddenly, he heard a soft tinkle.

The heart-chilling peal of ivory.

His heart flew out to the music. Being a fan of the piano and its spectacular harmoniousness, he appreciated the familiar sound. He had his own vintage piano down by the main hall, where parties would occasionally be held and his mother would play a melody or two. But this?

Lan Wangji's ears perked up as he listened to the tune and its thick jingle. A grand piano? He narrowed his eyes, brows furrowing as his feet inadvertently took him towards the sound. He stopped when his body hit a red curtain.

Lan Wangji looked up. Wasn't this the room gege said to avoid? He tried turning around but the melody...

...was irresistible...

...because it just felt so.....................................................

...familiar.

He pulled the curtain aside to reveal a dusty wooden door. Instead of crashing in, he leant against the teak to listen in.

Now that he could hear the melody more clearly, he gasped. The harmony being played was just so... sweet, romantic, gentle and yet... melancholy. One could easily hear the sorrowful heart of the player, beating slowly, yearning to meet their lover, to fulfil their heart's desire.

Lan Wangji's fist clenched at the sound. He frowned, squinting, wincing as a sudden pang of pain shot down his spine, flew back up and darted into his heart, stabbing it harshly. Each time the chorus played, each time that one high note ended the chorus, it rang for a long time in his ear, as though it was pining, calling out, beckoning.

There was something weirdly eerie about it all, from the dusty old teak door to the way the miserable melody tugged on his heart.

But he didn't care. He was too enraptured by the sound, his heart pounding in his ears, thrashing his eardrums, screaming at him to open the door. So he turned the doorknob.

Clash! The metal doorknob fell to the floor.

It hadn't been opened for that long? Lan Wangji frowned. Then who was playing the melody? He leant against the door and pushed hard. The distinct creaks of the door being forced open were obvious and audible.

And yet it wouldn't budge.

Lan Wangji was desperate. He had to open that door. He must. He rummaged around, searching hastily for a crowbar or something, anything, because somehow his very life depended on opening that door. He couldn't make too much noise lest his brother should hear, so he went to the dining hall, picked up a butter knife and tiptoed up the stairs back to the creepy room. Slamming the knife into the now partially open crack between the door and the wall, he bent the knife, wiggling it back and forth until it slipped right through and the door tossed open.

Lan Wangji stepped inside, gripping the butter knife like it was his personal makeshift dagger. "Who's there?"

Not a sound. Nothing but the endless melody. He looked around the room. It was dark and gloomy. There was absolutely no lighting whatsoever except for the curtains at the window pulled apart halfway to let in a bit of sunlight to showcase the dust in the room. He could see concrete walls like the rest of the old house, but also found shelves and shelves of books. Dusty and old, golden and crisp. Despite appearing ancient, they were left untouched by worms or any pests at that. Books? Lan Wangji wondered, his frown softening. This is a study? He walked up to the shelves and ran his fingers along the wrinkled spines. These weren't hardcover or paperback books from the modern era. These were... pages bound at the edge with a black thread running through them. Seemingly books from decades, maybe centuries ago. But if the books were that old, how come they were here and not at some museum? He took out one book, blew the dust away and flipped it open.

The Chinese characters were slightly complex, a clear sign of being ancient heritage. But Lan Wangji understood enough to see them as manuscripts of music. Music books? His eyes flashed with silent glee as he looked through the shelves to find every last book here contained nothing but sheet music. Maybe that's why there's a grand piano here. Wait, where is it? He looked around the place, searching for the piano. The melody was still playing patiently so he followed the tune. He walked towards a line of shelves, and stepped behind them to find a wide open space with an elegant and gleaming black grand piano at the centre. His head turned to the keys that were moving deftly, pressing down and releasing on their own.

Note by note, the pianoforte played itself on.

Lan Wangji frowned. Pianos don't play by themselves. He looked at the seat in front of the piano and saw that it was empty. And yet... the black and white keys kept pressing... the music was playing...

This was getting spookier. Someone was playing the piano. But why couldn't he see them?

And just then, the chorus of the song hit that one last long note.

It pierced through Lan Wangji's heart, making him forget everything else and shut his eyes, listening to the way the note dragged on and called out to his soul. When the melody stopped and continued with the rest of the song, he opened his eyes with a deep exhalation.

And then, he gasped.

There on the seat sat a man of nearly six feet in height, dressed in black robes with a red undershirt, his hair long as the waterfall outside Lan Wangji's estate home and floating behind him, lighter than the wind outside. 

Though there was no wind inside...

And amidst the hair, a bright crimson ribbon fluttered and flapped behind the man's fey body.

Lan Wangji stumbled back, crashing into a shelf behind him and slumping to the ground in sheer shock. "You... You... Who are you!?" He held up his dagger/butter knife.

The man turned to look at him. Seeing him trembling on the floor out of shock, he laughed, his teeth sparkling white and smile wide enough to reach both ears. "Look at you! What, never seen a ghost before? Hahahahahahahaha!"

Lan Wangji gulped. Ghost? No, he didn't believe in ghosts. But he did believe in what he saw... What had shocked him was not the thought that there was a ghost in the study, but the fact that he had seen nobody around before and this man had appeared so suddenly, out of thin air... "How did you get here?"

"I've always been here. Wait a minute..." the beautiful man frowned. "You can see me?"

"Yes," Lan Wangji nodded.

"Hm? Strange," the man tapped his nose. "Nobody else who came in here could see me... I wonder..." He stood from his seat and ambled to the man curled up on the ground. "Get up," he held out his translucent hand.

Lan Wangji held it and let the man pull him up, nodding in gratitude.

"Ey? You can touch me, too! How's that possible...?" The man stared into Lan Wangji's eyes, a light gasp escaping his rosy lips. "You're... L– Lan Zhan?"

"How do you know me?"

The man gulped, swallowing the onslaught of tears. But they were too strong for his weak soul and poured out of his eyes, bright sparkling silver droplets disappearing as they fell through the air. "You really are my Lan Zhan..." he smiled softly, cupping Wangji's face and caressing his thumb against his cheek.

Lan Wangji gulped. Seeing the man's beauteous smile had already made his heart flutter, and now this? His innards were writhing, twisting, knotting themselves up. Wait, wasn't this what gege said?

But... why was he crying? "P– Please don't cry..." Lan Wangji whispered, not resisting the stroking fingers, but wincing when he saw the silver tears pouring out of the other man's eyes. "Please..."

"Hm?" The ghost sniffed.

"Don't cry... It... hurts..." Why does my chest burn when he's crying? Lan Wangji was in utter confusion and agony. Inflammation?

"Ah?" The ghost wiped his face quickly. "Are you the same Lan Zhan?"

Lan Wangji, whose birth name was Lan Zhan, tilted his head. "Same Lan Zhan?"

"No," the man shook his head. "You look different. Exact same eyes and... the same gorgeous body... but no, you're reborn, aren't you?"

"Reborn?" What was this man talking about? "Who are you?"

"Oh dear Lord, I didn't introduce myself," the man chuckled as he stepped back and bowed a full ninety degrees. "Glad to meet you again, Lan Zhan. You'd never guess how elated I am deep in here," he patted his chest. "I'm Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying. The renown Yiling Laozu who died in battle long ago beside you, though of course, you don't remember."

"Yiling Laozu? Battle? Died beside me?" Lan Zhan, someone who never asked questions, frowned in puzzlement.

"It's all from a past from long ago, Lan Zhan. Your past life, I'm guessing."

"If it's the tale of my past life and I was reborn, what are you doing here? If you were my colleague at battle or whatever..."

"Pfft!" Wei Wuxian laughed. "Colleague? Oh, darling Lan Zhan, you really are reborn. Alas, looks like I'm the only one who remembers exactly how close we were, eh? Then... I should call you Second Young Master Lan."

"No!"

"Ah?"

"Er... Ahem," Lan Zhan fixed his collar, hand quivering at the weird feeling in his body. "You can call me Lan Zhan."

"Oh? If you insist," Wei Ying smiled at him. "Well, Lan Zhan, what made you open that door which was shut for two decades?"

"Two decades?"

Wei Ying walked to the piano seat and patted it, telling him to sit down. Lan Zhan sat on one corner, making enough space for the other to sit beside him. Never did even his brother sit so close to him. He really didn't know what going on in his mind today...

"Yes, two decades," the ghost nodded. "Your gege came in here once. He was... five. You were too little. I didn't know he was here, I just kept playing this wonderful thing your father left in here long ago. But then Xichen-ge got scared and ran out shrieking. The room's been shut ever since."

"Oh, apologies on behalf of my family..."

"Nah, it's not like I wanted to get out of here! Spent the rest of my spirit life playing this thing and reading my books."

"It's called 'piano'," Lan Zhan smiled subtly at Wei Ying's lack of knowledge.

"Really?" Wei Ying grinned as he patted the grand piano. "Hello, Mister Piano! Thank you for being my pal all these lonely years! And you shall always remain so!"

Lan Zhan smiled wider. "Mister Piano?"

"What? Doesn't this thing have a spirit?"

"Ah?"

"I've been trying to call it out but it doesn't seem to be a spiritual instrument..."

Lan Zhan sighed and shook his head. "Nothing of the sort. Musical instruments don't have spirits."

"Oh yeah?" Wei Wuxian pulled out a black flute from his belt. "See this here? Name's Chenqing. My spiritual tool. Need proof?" Wei Wuxian placed Chenqing on a shelf and walked back to the piano seat. "Chenqing!"

The black flute shot towards his hand and he gripped it tight. "See?"

Lan Zhan gawked in awe.

"Sad that your Wangji was destroyed in the battle..."

"What battle?"

"I'll tell that story later. Now come on! I'm meeting my husband........... though he's just best friend now........ after such a long time! Let's chat!"

"Husband?"

"Yeps!" Wei Ying beamed. "You and I were husbands. Cut-sleeves, yes, but we didn't care. But forget it. You are not my husband, the Lan Zhan from back then was. I'm not forcing anything on you. For now, you shall be my best friend, alright?"

"Mn."

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian sat facing him, wistfully relishing the sparkle of the golden orbs. "How old are you now?"

"Fifteen."

"Wow. You know, even in your past life we first met when you were fifteen! But... What took you so long?"

"How long have you been here?"

"Ever since I died. Which was centuries ago. Tried travelling around, and found your scent here. Turns out, my Lan Zhan was born into this family. I came into this study once, you were barely a toddler. All because it had our Gusu Library's books of music. I was attracted to this place. And then your father brought in Mister Piano here, and I tried figuring out how to play it. Turns out, the strings inside can't be pulled, but the blocks of wood work!"

Lan Wangji smiled again. This man was indeed rather amusing. "They're called keys."

"Keys? That doesn't make sense, what do you unlock with them?"

Lan Wangji looked at him for a while, thinking. "Feelings. Emotions. The woes of the soul."

"Oh, right, a very Lan Zhan-ish sentimental explanation," Wei Ying nodded. "Keys it is, then. So I tried out the keys, until I figured out how to play this thing. But one day, I was playing, I didn't know your father had entered the room. Of course, the entire family was shell shocked. They've tried all sorts of charms and exorcisms and whatnot, but they don't know who I am," Wei Ying grinned smugly. "Finally, your mother ordered for the door to be shut and locked and the keys thrown away and the curtain to be draped over the door, rendering the study out of bounds. And I've been stuck in here ever since."

"But why would Father leave all his books here?"

"Oh, these aren't his, they are your great-grandfather's. Inherited by him from ancestors going back to my days. Your father couldn't make head or tail out of them," Wei Ying chuckled.

"So you've been in here all these years?"

"Mhm, waited for you. Kept playing our song thinking you'd come to hear it some day. And see? You did!"

"Our song?"

"I told you, I'll tell my story later. Now tell me yours first. I want to know what took my soulmate so bloody long to find me."

"I grew up here, but left with Mother–"

"Wangji?" A stern voice called out from near the door, far away from where they sat.

Lan Wangji's eyes swelled in apprehension.

"Your story will have to wait, Lan Zhan, see you later!"

"Wei Ying!"

But Wei Wuxian had vanished from view.

"Wei Ying..."

"Wangji?" Lan Xichen walked in.

"G– Gege..." Lan Zhan gulped.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I..." Lan Zhan didn't know what to say so he pursed his lips.

"I told you not to come in here. The room's haunted, you might have fallen in trouble. Come outside, quick."

"Gege, the room's fine, really–"

"Wangji, since when do you talk back to me?"

Lan Zhan looked down at his feet and stood, walked with his brother past the shelves.

"Wangji, who were you talking to? I heard your voice."

Lan Zhan bit his cheek. Now what? There was no way he could tell the truth... Alas, he would have to lie. To his brother. For the first time in his pure life.

"Jiang Wanyin."

"A-Cheng?" Lan Xichen spun around to face him, face glowing. "Why would he call my little brother?"

"Said your phone was engaged, so he contacted me instead."

"What for?"

"Something about..." About? About what? Tsk, one lie led to a million more. "Contacting you. He said he's only looking for you for business matters, but, well..."

"Haha, bad liar he is," Lan Huan grinned. "Thank you for telling, I'll call him now." And with that, forgetting the room and his brother altogether out of the sheer delight of his boyfriend wanting to ring him up, Lan Xichen rushed out.

Lan Wangji let out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding in.

"Wei Ying?" He turned around and called out. "Wei Ying..." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'll come again tomorrow, first thing after breakfast." And with that, he walked out.

"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian shook his head from an invisible corner in the room. "Don't tell me you've fallen for me already... I am a ghost... The most extremely villainous ghoul in the history of the cultivation world... Aish, you always have to go against the norms, don't you?"

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ 🎶 ❄️ ❄️❄️ 

If there was one thing Lan Wangji was, it was being true to his word.

Sure enough, right after having breakfast, he walked up to the second floor and straight to the red curtain. He had brought a bottle of oil this time, and dabbed it all over the hinges. This time, on one gentle push, it slithered open. No creaking, thanks to the slick olive oil. Lan Zhan placed the oil on a shelf, drew the red curtain close so nobody would see the open door, and walked into the open space. "Wei Ying?"

Instantly, the pianoforte began to play the song from yesterday. Our song, that's what Wei Ying called it, Lan Wangji nodded and shut his eyes. He listened to the melody, let the meaning behind its notes, the message of a soul-bound love, sink deep into his soul and heart, before opening his eyes again. And there sat Wei Wuxian on the piano seat, merrily playing their song.

"So you figured it out, too?" He stopped playing and patted the seat. Lan Zhan sat beside him. "That we're connected through the song? That's how you can see me and feel me?"

"Mn," Lan Zhan nodded with that beautiful gem of a smile.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji spent hours in the study, as Lan Zhan described his life: his childhood, his life in England, his schooling life, and right down to the present, his ambitions, hobbies, everything. Wei Wuxian made sure the Lan Wangji this time wasn't as silent and cold and stoic-faced as he used to be centuries ago. So even to his amazement, Lan Zhan chattered on about his own life, eager to finish up to listen to Wei Ying tell their own tale.

But right when Lan Zhan finished his story, summing it all up to two hours of talking, his phone rang. Wei Wuxian cocked his head as he listened to a strange voice speaking from a strange gadget at Lan Zhan's ear. Hm? Seems like a modern form of communication talismans, Wei Ying chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Wei Ying, gege's calling for some work."

"Then you better get going. I don't want Xichen-ge thinking his little brother is being haunted by some ghoul in a dusty old study. Go," Wei Ying pushed his arm gently.

Lan Wangji sighed and nodded sadly. He walked to the door and turned back to see Wei Ying had vanished again.

Heart fluttering, butterflies in the stomach, obsessed and determined to see him everyday... So it is what gege said. Lan Wangji sighed again, realising he had finally found out what this thing called 'Love' meant. He was in love.

But... He knew age wasn't a matter, he could fall in love at fifteen or fifty! But...

In love with a ghost...

Was that even possible? Falling in love is one thing, but making it last?

Lan Zhan shoved all burdens out of his fuzzy head and marched towards the car park to find the driver waiting at his car. 

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ 🎶 ❄️ ❄️❄️

Trrrring!

The front door slid open. The butler of the Lans' manor peeked out. "Who is this?"

The tall lad standing on the porch had the iciest expression ever. Enough to rival the butler's Second Young Master. Dressed in mauve jacket and heliotrope suit, with lilac suede shoes, he nodded stoically to the butler. "Jiang Wanyin."

"The Young Master of the Jiang family?"

"Yes. Is Lan Xichen at home?"

"Yes, Sir, please come in," the butler opened the door wide. Jiang Cheng walked in and waited for the man to call Xichen downstairs. He came back with a message from Xichen for him to remain in the main hall, he'll be there in ten minutes. So Jiang Cheng strolled around the main hall before sitting on a plush sofa. Seven minutes ticked by with him fiddling with his mobile phone, until he heard the butler coming again. "Young Master Jiang, follow me. Young Master Lan will be meeting you in his room."

Jiang Wanyin stood and followed the man up the stairs. When they reached the first floor, the telephone downstairs rang. A maid answered it and called out to the butler, claiming it to be a message from the Lan boys' father. Jiang Wanyin waved him off, and followed the staircase to the second floor: Xichen's study was up on the third. But just when he turned to walk up the next set of stairs...

What's that music? Jiang Wanyin frowned as he listened. Strange, I didn't see anyone playing the piano downstairs... He followed the melody towards a room to the left of the second storey. He gripped the red curtain and listened.

Yes, definitely a piano, but who the hell... Only A-Huan's in the house... Oh, Lan Wangji, perhaps? Better just get going then, he turned around to find another man, almost as tall as him, standing nearby, glowering.

"Lan Wangji?" He blinked at the young boy. Then... who the hell was playing inside? Jiang Cheng felt shivers running down his spine.

"A-Cheng, what are you doing there?"

Jiang Wanyin turned to see Lan Xichen waving from the stairs. "You were late, I was wondering where you were. Come on!"

Jiang Cheng nodded and hurried to the stairs, away from the strange room.

"Wangji?"

Lan Wangji nodded to his brother, fluently fibbing again, "Gege, I'm going downstairs."

"Okay," Xichen went up to his own study with Jiang Cheng.

Lan Wangji patiently waited for the door to shut before walking over and disappearing behind the curtain with a smirk glowing on his visage. 

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Golden light of the autumn sunshine dappled the dewy grass. Blue jays flocked atop the amber trees, chirruping and calling out to family and friends. Branches that were slowly being stripped of their mesmerising cloaks of greenery rustled and shivered in the autumn breeze.

Whoosh! Crimson and orange leaves whizzed past Lan Zhan's ears as he sat on the bench in the lonelier section of the Town Centre's park, underneath his favourite red maple tree, drowning in his lonely ocean of thought.

All the way from June to October, he and his newfound secret lover had had countless exchanges, almost everyday. If ever Lan Wangji did not go to visit his lover, it was thanks to his prospective school doubling his holiday-work.

Wei Wuxian would tell him every single thing from their past life. He had begun his tale from back when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying had first met at the gates of Cloud Recesses. On he ranted about how Lan Zhan had repeatedly used the Lan silencing charm, how they had duelled up on the rooftops, how Lan Zhan kept ignoring him until their days alone at the Library.

Which, of course, Wei Wuxian preferred to called 'dates'.

And then on he went about their entire school life. Each morning when Lan Wangji came into the study, Wei Wuxian would tell him one tale of some single incident back in those times. He took all the time in the world to relish the memories and feed them into Lan Wangji, explaining it all in exquisitely and exceptionally explicit detail. From school days, to the burning down of Cloud Recesses, to the Wens' indoctrination, to the scenes at the Xuanwu's cave, to the Wens taking control over Lotus Pier, to the Sunshot Campaign. And then to the troubles with Wen Ning being killed and running away with Wen Qing.

Lan Wangji, seated on the bench, flinched when he recalled Wei Wuxian retelling that night at the Qiongqi path. All the throes of pain that the other Lan Zhan felt that night under the umbrella at the Qiongqi path came rushing back to his own heart, squeezing it, digging into it, piercing it. Lan Wangji's pale hand gripped the edge of the cement bench, clutching it hard to hold back the strange agony searing through him. His vision was going foggy so he shut his eyes. 

**********

Silvery drops leaking from the weeping heavens, sliding down the tips of the white umbrella.

Tip-tap of hooves hastily running away.

Tall man, adorned in black, wide hat drenched through and through disappearing out of sight in the distance.

A single teardrop glistening as it slithered down the cultivator Lan Zhan's jade face.

The ice coating wrapping his heart since the passing of his mother............. had cracked.

At last.

He tossed the umbrella aside and let the rain wash away the sorrow streaming down his face, chanting in his head.

Wei Ying... Don't leave... Come back to Gusu... Wei Ying...

But Wei Ying had already gone. 

**********

Gasping and panting, Lan Zhan's eyes shot open. So that's what happened. That's what my past life self went through that night...

And he's right... It really was my past self... How else can I experience the pain all over again?

Realising his face was damp already, Lan Wangji wiped his face with a handkerchief and returned to the story.

So after Qiongqi path's farewell... Wei Wuxian had then given extremely brief descriptions of the murders at Qiongqi path, and so on, right down to the siege at Burial Mounds.

And then he had returned to life, through someone called Mo Xuanyu. After another long list of troubles, they had finally succeeded in getting together. And then married. Years and years of sheer happiness and peace.

We even had a son called A-Yuan? Sweet, Lan Wangji smiled softly.

But what had happened afterwards?

Lan Wangji gripped the bench again.

A war. Some great, furious war among the clans. Wei Wuxian's brothers and friends, all sect leaders of the major sects, had protected him when the hundreds of minor clans had turned against him.

Wei Wuxian's words echoed in his head. "Xichen-ge, A-Cheng, Nie-xiong, and you, Lan Zhan. All of you fought for me. And A-Ling and the juniors. Every last one of you guys guarded me. But something terrible happened, some burst of energy or something. They had a powerful demonic dragon or something on their side. Destroyed us. That's what broke your guqin, Wangji. I had to shield us with my own energy, which killed me first. And then all of you guys were killed by that bloody beast. Our kids lived on, and I got to watch them, and after years, A-Yuan and the rest destroyed that beast."

That one battle had vanquished their entire generation, leaving only their sons. But then... Lan Zhan knew Xichen-ge was his own brother; A-Cheng was that pesky representative of their tea company, Jiang Wanyin; Nie-xiong was Nie Huaisang, his childhood friend from when he was three; and that Lan Zhan was, of course, him. But if all of them were reborn... What happened to Wei Wuxian?

He frowned when he recalled the nasty smirk Wei Wuxian had given him when he asked it that same morning.

"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan, I told you, didn't I? I was a soul summoned by the Summoning Spell. Means I'm an extremely villainous ghoul." Smirk. "And extremely villainous ghouls don't move on." Smirk. "And anyways, all my dark energy prevented me from seeing the path to move on from this life, so I'm stuck in the intermediate world as a lonely soul."

Lonely soul... Lonely soul... Lan Wangji's grip on the bench grew tighter and tighter. No. Wei Ying's not lonely. There must be a way out of this. He shot up onto his feet and stomped out of the park to head for his home. 

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Lan Wangji lay on his side, the covers wrapping him up to his neck. His fingers gripped the top hem as he stared at the room around him, the walls facing him acting as a projector screen for the only image running through the repetitive reel of his mind.

Wei Ying.

That summery smile that beat the brightness of sunshine.

Those shining, gleaming, silver eyes that melted into mercury whenever Lan Zhan smiled back.

The full and rosy lips...

All Lan Wangji wanted was to capture them in his own. But he was wary. Wei Ying was a ghost. Fragile, barely there. What if him coming into too much physical contact wore his soul out? Or something of the sort?

Wait, what was he even thinking? Lan Wangji felt redness sinking into the tips of his jade ears as he buried his face in his palms and shook his head furiously. "Lan Wangji! Get that out of your head now!" He mumbled into his sweating palms.

Tsk, but then... No matter how hard he tried, he really couldn't forget that face... His workload was building up on his table back at his own study because he simply couldn't focus well enough to finish it all off. Pale skin, rosy cheeks, sharp jawline, bunny teeth, sunny smile, lustrous eyes... Over and over, the image of Wei Ying beaming at him kept playing like an iPod stuck on replay.

"Wangji?" The lights flicked on and Lan Xichen walked into the room, grinning from ear to ear.

"Gege!" Lan Wangji gulped.

"It's past nine. You're supposed to be asleep...?" Xichen chuckled.

"Er... Ahem... Couldn't fall asleep..."

"Oh? Thinking of someone?"

Lan Wangji's eyes swelled. How did his brother know?

Lan Xichen laughed heartily. "Didi, look at you! Flushed face, red-hot ears, wistful smile, it's obvious you're dreaming of someone! Ey, didi, how come I don't know of this?"

"Gege..." Lan Wangji gulped harder. Oh dear... He was in trouble... Big time.

"Don't ask me why I came in, the door was open and I saw your feet wiggling under the blankets. Found it cutely hilarious so I came in to check. What's with you, eh? Missing someone from England? From school? Come on, who's the lucky girl?"

Lan Wangji's smile faded.

Lan Xichen blinked twice before patting his brother's shoulder. "Didi, no need to be ashamed or shocked. So it's a guy? Someone I know from here, or back in London?"

"You're... okay if it's a guy?" Lan Wangji's eyes were as round as saucers.

"Of course, I am! One, we're in the twenty-first century! Two..." Lan Xichen blushed and scratched his nape. "I can't be telling my brother it's wrong to do so when I'm no better off myself, he he! So? Does he look good?"

"Mn," Lan Zhan smiled wistfully again.

"Well, he has to be, to gain my picky didi's attention! Oh, to think of all those heartbroken girls you waived off at every prom party! Only to find that their dream Prince Charming loves a guy I don't even know! Hey, where is he from?"

"Nearby."

"Really? Great! When did you meet this fellow?"

Lan Zhan looked up at his brother, biting his cheek. How was he to tell it?

"Didi, I'd love to meet him! Take me to see him tomorrow morning, yeah? Where does he live? Don't worry, you're still so young, just to have a chat."

Lan Zhan sighed. He really couldn't lie to his brother... Not anymore.

"Here."

"Huh? Here as in our estate? Is he..." Lan Huan frowned. "Is he a worker?"

"Here as in our home."

"What? A servant?!" Lan Xichen's frown was deepening.

Lan Wangji shook his head.

Xichen ran out of patience. "Wangji, where does he live?"

Lan Wangji knew his brother's tone well enough so he went straight to the point. "The forbidden study."

Immediately, Lan Xichen was out the door in a flash.

"Gege!" Lan Wangji jumped out of the bed, pulled on his bunny slippers and sprinted out of the room. "Gege, let me finish!" 

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Lan Xichen dashed down the stairs to the third floor, went to his study, grabbed a sword on display in there, and stood before the red curtain in seconds. He swung the curtain aside and shoved the door open by forcing the blade into the crack. Once it swung open, he marched in and looked around. "Who's in here?" He snapped, voice not at all like his usual sunny self, but deep and cold, his protective side turned on. There was an unwelcome intruder in their house hiding in this study. And he was going to kick him out.

All at once, the study grew darker. The moonlight coming in from the windows was blocked by somebody standing there, leaning on the glass, sneering maliciously. A tall, dark figure loomed over the window, far across the room from Lan Xichen, leering nastily, draped in black and a red ribbon flapping behind him. "Hmph, I am. Got a problem?"

The man's low and icy voice sent a quick shudder down Lan Huan's spine. "Who are you?" He raised his sword.

"Lan Xichen... Tut, tut, tut... Think a sword can get rid of me? If so, your darling father would have done so two decades ago," he cackled, eyes flashing a bright bloody scarlet. The atmosphere turned darker, temperature dropping lower than the autumn breeze outside. Inky black smoke drifted out of the figure, enwrapping the shelves and carpeted dusty floor, shooting towards Lan Xichen. "Nobody dares to get me out of this place. Here I shall stay!" He roared.

"Wei Ying!"

The strings of black smoke stopped mid-air, inches away from Lan Xichen's wrist. The ghoul looked up at the voice. "Lan Zhan?"

"Wei Ying, stop!"

The red glare and black smoke receded from view in an instant. Wei Wuxian gulped when he realised what had happened. "I... Tsk... Lan Zhan, apologies for frightening your brother... Xichen-ge, I'm sorry... Just don't force me to leave this place, don't provoke me. I'm not going anywhere. I won't do this again, I promise." Wei Wuxian looked down at his feet guiltily.

The fiercely villainous and monstrous ghost from earlier had suddenly deteriorated into a guilty puppy? Lan Xichen tilted his head, wondering what was going on. "Wangji... this is a ghost?"

Lan Zhan nodded and forced his brother's raised sword-wielding arm down. "Gege, he's good, really. Don't harm him."

"Wangji..." Lan Huan lowered his arm and shook his head with a sigh. He turned to the ghost. "You! What have you done to my didi!"

"Ah? Xichen-ge..."

"What gives you the right to call me ge?"

"Oh... Er... sorry, I know someone else like you. Lan Xichen, apologies. But I didn't do anything to your brother."

"Why does he keep coming in here? Why does he keep coming to see you? He's changing... Just what did you–"

"Gege, not his fault."

"Wangji?"

"I... I fell into that pit you talked about earlier."

Lan Xichen stared between the ghost and his brother. "Wangji? You're so young! And he's a ghost!"

"I know. I don't care."

"Wangji–"

"He's my version of Jiang Wanyin. That's it."

Lan Xichen gaped at his brother for a while before nodding slowly. "So you're guilt-tripping me now? Fine. What am I to do now? Fine, you do whatever you want." Lan Xichen gripped the sword and turned around.

Lan Wangji held his arm. "Gege..."

"Don't worry. Neither Father nor Mother will know a thing about this. I won't tell a soul." Lan Xichen choked at the word 'soul' and side-glanced at Wei Wuxian before walking out helplessly.

My brother's in love. A bit too early, but he's always been maturer than others his age, mind and heart. But with a ghost? Someone he'll never be able to be with?

Tch, I don't want to bring him out of his sweet dream... Mn, I know what to do. Lan Xichen postponed all ideas of sleeping for the night and walked downstairs to the little room in the ground floor that Mother made for offerings and prayers. Wei Ying was what Wangji called him. Well then... He knelt on the mat, lit up as many incense sticks as he could find and kowtowed low.

May the soul of this Wei Ying find peace. Soon.

He prayed and prayed for Wei Ying's rest before he finally started to feel drowsy. He staggered his way up the stairs, found the door to the forbidden study open, did nothing but shut the curtain so their parents wouldn't see, and stumbled up to his own bedroom with a sleepy sigh. 

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Together, the Lan brothers prayed day and night for Wei Ying's soul to find peace. Wei Wuxian, up in the study, couldn't help but smile. If the door was left open, he could wander around unnoticed sometimes and Lan Zhan let him visit their garden to relax. But whenever they went to pray, all he could do was watch from outside the door to the room, because his ghoulish soul had no possibility of entering the religious room. But he was satisfied. His 'best friend' and his Xichen-ge were praying so much for him. Never had he felt this happy.

And the plan worked.

As the December frost struck, Wei Wuxian was starting to feel himself fading away. When Lan Wangji walked into the study on the morning of the twentieth of December, he found his beloved nothing more than muslin fabric.

"Wei Ying!" He ran to the piano seat.

Wei Wuxian chuckled. "Lan Zhan, no need to be so afraid. Your brother and you did well," he caressed Lan Zhan's trembling cheek. "I didn't think somebody praying for my rest would actually work. All your souls and cores were pure, but I was tainted. I guess I needed the prayers. Thank you, Lan Zhan. And tell your gege I thanked him too."

Lan Zhan gulped. "Wei Ying... You... are leaving?"

"Yes, Lan Zhan."

Boom! Lan Zhan's mind exploded. What? Wei Ying was leaving? Leaving him? No way...

"Wasn't that what you prayed for?" Wei Ying smiled, running his fingers through Lan Zhan's hair, though the hair fell right through his fey skin.

"Yes, but..." Lan Zhan desperately tried to hold back the sob of fear.

"But you don't want me to leave you?"

"Mn."

Golden eyes glazed with a restrained film of water pleaded gravely, gazing into silvery orbs. Wei Ying smiled. "Don't worry. I go now, but I will come back. I'll reincarnate as fast as I can, I don't want any heavenly peace. You're my heavenly prince, I'll come right back to you, alright?"

"But what if you don't? What if you forget all this when you reincarnate? What if you're no longer Wei Wuxian? What if I can't find you?"

"Woah, Lan Zhan, you've never spoken this much all your life!" Wei Ying smiled wider. "I told you, don't worry. I shall never forget you. Not this life, not ever." He clasped Lan Zhan's hand in his, but Lan Zhan shuddered when he realised he didn't feel it anymore. His Wei Ying was fading fast. "Do you trust me?"

"Mn."

"Good boy," Wei Ying smiled. "Lan Zhan, you, a fifteen-year-old young lad, fell in love with a ghost centuries older than you; you'll meet me next time as a boy decades younger than you. Is that fine?"

"I don't care. But you will come back, right?"

"Trust me." Wei Ying caressed the jade hands. "I will. GusuLan Sect Rule number 753. Do not break your promises." Wei Wuxian laughed. "See? I learnt the rules with you so even if centuries have passed, I still haven't forgotten. Just like that, I won't forget you, okay?"

"Mn."

Wei Wuxian shuffled closer to him and Lan Wangji could feel his heart pounding and beating like a war drum in his ear. So close...

"Lan Zhan... I might miss your December twenty-fifth festival, Christmas, I think you called it. But years from now, I'll come to you exactly on Christmas Day, alright? Till then," Wei Wuxian's hand trembled as he reached out and clasped it around Lan Zhan's chin, pulling his face closer. "I know you're a wee bit underage but I have to... Happy Christmas," he bent and gave Lan Zhan a fleeting kiss on the lips.

Lan Zhan's eyes widened in surprise. Delighted and exuberant, his young heart fizzing and bubbling with glee, he let Wei Ying conquer him and drifted his hands up Wei Ying's cold back, gripping him tightly when he sensed the skin fading from tangibility. No, don't go... He gripped the black robes, clawing at the air, sucking deeply to arrest the tongue teasing his, not at all willing to let this wonderful man go.

By the time he realised he was kissing air, the tears streaming down his cheeks had already drenched the piano seat.

"Wei Ying...?"

He heard a single note on the white keys. And then Wei Ying's voice. "Lan Zhan... wait for me, okay? Meet me under the mistletoe. Bring wine!"

With that, the barely visible figure seated before him vanished.

Lan Zhan clutched the seat in despair, banging on the piano, screaming in pain.

Lan Xichen who had just returned home from a conference to check on his brother, ran into the room that was shaking with Lan Wangji's wails and the crashes on the pianoforte. "Wangji? Wangji!" He held his brother's arms and shook him. "Wangji, what happened?"

"Wei Ying... Gone..." Lan Zhan wept and tore at Lan Xichen's clothes. Lan Xichen sighed and sat on the piano bench, hugging and cuddling his brother in a desperate effort to comfort him.

"Huan-Er? What's going on?" Their mother called out from outside. "What are you two doing in there?"

"Ah? M– Mother..." Lan Xichen gulped. "Wangji and I just came in here to find a book..."

"Find a book?" Their mother stood beside them, warily looking around the room for the ghost from before. "Why is Zhan-Er crying then?" She asked in her stern voice that rang with a clear warning.

"Er... N– Nothing... He... missed Auntie," Lan Xichen glibly fibbed, recalling their aunt who had died of a cancer years ago. And Xichen knew his mother detested that aunt — their father's younger sister — who his brother loved, because Lan Wangji happened to love her more than he loved his own strict mother.

"Hmph," Mrs Lan smirked and walked out of the room. "You better get out of there before your father finds you in here. This is forbidden. You know it." She walked away.

It worked, Lan Huan sighed with relief. "Wangji?" He shook his brother. "Wangji?"

Lan Wangji had fallen unconscious. 

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ 🎶 ❄️ ❄️❄️

Three years flew by at high-speed for the Lan family, their youngest son having left their home for college.

But to that youngest son, every day was a millennium of patient pining, wretched waiting, miserable mourning. He hadn't even grieved over his beloved aunt's loss for this long...

The first year in college went by quite well, with none but Nie Huaisang as a friend to study Business with. Music was pursued all alone. He managed two courses simultaneously unexpectedly efficiently, and was satisfied at himself.

But amidst it all, never did he fail to go visit the park from before. Every Christmas he would wrap himself up in a sweater and cloak, and go sit under his favourite maple tree, which tended to be covered in wildly grown mistletoe. Of course, there would be hundreds of couples coming from all across town to the tree for its mistletoe blessing, but Lan Wangji remained seated, not bothered to give anyone the bench. There were a dozen other benches they could sit there for all he cared! He would stay here, wait for his beloved, under the mistletoe with a bottle of red wine by his side. Not once did he open the bottle. But if Wei Ying failed to arrive by 00:01, he would gift the bottle to a beggar nearby — happy to see him delighted to have a bottle of the finest red wine gifted on Christmas Day — and walk back home to his college. 

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Another ten years flitted by. Thirteen years since Wei Ying's soul found peace, and Lan Wangji was twenty-eight. His brother had married Jiang Wanyin, and were having plans on adopting a child. For the moment, he took care of most of the business matters because the CEO was busy getting Jiang Cheng used to the estate life.

Nonetheless, Lan Zhan still found enough free time to visit the park on Christmas. Thirteen years of waiting... Wei Ying would be thirteen now. Last life, I found him after thirteen years... but he's too young now... Lan Zhan sighed. It's fine, Wei Ying. I'll wait for you... he looked up at the tree branches. Under the mistletoe.

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Another five years skidded away under a busy Lan Wangji's nose, as he slowly turned thirty-three and his workload increased. Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng had raised a son and a daughter, Jingyi and Jingqiu respectively. Jingyi was adopted from an orphanage that Seraphim Tea made a donation to, and Jingqiu was born via surrogate. Both children were chaotic gems thanks to their fashion model father, but had an ounce of intelligence and talent from their more serene father as well. Lan Wangji found them a pleasant relief from his unending work stress and anticipation for the impending reunion with his long-lost love. But he left the family, as he did every year, after dinner and walked to the park. He hadn't bothered to put on a coat because he was in a rush today. Wei Ying would be eighteen today. Finally an adult. Would he come to see him today?

The chances were sky-high.

So he ran across town to the park, screeching to a halt at the supermarket to grab a bottle of a Bordeaux red wine and sprinted towards the park. Panting, he undid the scarf wrapped around his neck to take a breath as he plopped down on the usual bench. Eighteenth year of waiting. Wei Ying had to be here. He couldn't have disappeared for so long, right?

Right.

While he sat there, gasping for air after the sprint across town, he heard a familiar voice shouting from far away. "A-YUAN!"

Pale face shot up to gaze out of the park, over the wired fence, across the street, onto the opposite sidewalk. That voice... typically loud and raucous to anyone else but sweet and melodious to Lan Wangji who had been pleading to God to let him listen to it one more time for the past eighteen years.

And there it was, beaming and laughing across the street.

"Wei Ying..." Lan Zhan whispered under his breath, the tips of lips creeping up to his ears in glee. He was here! His love was back!

But.........................

Who was that girl with him?

"A-Qing! I can't believe you're supporting him!"

"What?" The girl sounded stern and yet, delicate. "A-Yuan calling you Papa makes sense!"

"But–"

"A-Yuan wants to go to the park!" The little boy Wei Ying was carrying on his shoulders squealed pointing to the park.

Another man, shorter than Wei Ying, but having similar features, tousled the boy's hair. "Gege, shall I take him?"

"Nah, we'll ALL go!" Wei Ying chuckled heartily and merrily, the very epitome of the Christmas spirit, and took the young lady's and the young man's hands, made sure A-Yuan was safely up on his shoulders, and crossed the street to enter the park.

Lan Wangji shot up onto his feet, quickly wrapped the scarf around to cover up his neck and half of his face and rushed around the tree to sit on the other side, head hanging low. Wei Ying... had a wife? And a son?

The befuddled and hurt Lan Zhan didn't realise that Wei Wuxian couldn't have all that at eighteen; instead, his initial joy sank low.

So Wei Ying did forget me... What happened to GusuLan Sect Rule number 753? Wei Ying... You promised...

Lan Zhan scrubbed his face with his ice-cold hands, rubbing the tears away. Had he waited for eighteen years, devoutly, to see this? Had he done all he could to rise to an impeccable position in society so that nobody would dare to judge him when his Wei Ying finally came, just to see this?

No. Of course, not.

But this is what he got.

The sight of Wei Ying holding that girl's hand sent sharp sparks of electric torture through Lan Wangji's heart.

Lan Zhan's shoulders trembled as he sat there on the freezing bench, curling up and hugging the bottle of red wine tight, burrowing his face into his hands. He could hear the shouts of the little boy, as cheerful as his father, and the returned cries of glee from his father as well. Wei Ying was happy with his A-Yuan and A-Qing. And that younger brother of his, A-Ning, as far as Lan Wangji gathered from the shouts of merriment. Lan Zhan sighed, letting his hands well up with a sea of tears. It's fine. It's okay. Wei Ying's happy. That's all I want to see. Wei Ying's happy. Wei Ying's happy. Wei Ying's happy...

He couldn't help but feel torn apart by the fact that the source of happiness... just wasn't him...

Zing! Another lightning spark shot through his body. But this time, it originated from his head.

Something had just tapped his head.

But was it a tap?

Or... why did it feel like a light kiss?

Eyes widening in shock, he looked up. And gasped.

"Lan Zhan! I found you!"

Time stopped. Lan Zhan's heart stopped beating and all he could do was stare up at the angelic ray of sunshine beaming down upon him. The smile he had longed to see...

His heart remained stilled out of surprise; he was running out of breath, but he didn't mind. All the oxygen in his world was right there.

"Wei Ying?"

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian bent down and flung his arms around Lan Wangji's neck, hugging him briefly, before quickly pulling away back onto his feet. "Er... he, he... sorry about that, just a little bit overexcited..." he crimsoned, chuckling nervously. "Lan Zhan, you're cold as ice!" He quickly removed the thick furry jacket wrapping his shoulders and fastened its sleeves around Lan Zhan's neck, swathing him in it, adjusting Lan Zhan's blue scarf to cover up his neck and ears well. "What are you doing here in the cold without even a jacket?"

"Waiting for you."

Wei Ying's worried face melted like chocolatey lava into a warm smile that heated Lan Wangji's cold body up just right. "Oh, Lan Zhan... all eighteen years?"

"Mn."

Wei Ying sat on the bench beside him, hands twiddling and swivelling. "So neither of us forgot our promises, eh? You waited for me, and I came!"

Lan Zhan didn't reply.

"Lan Zhan?"

"She's beautiful. Are you happy with her?"

"Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying blinked in confusion. "Who?"

Lan Zhan slightly nodded towards the man, woman and child playing on the snow a bit far away from them.

"A-Qing?" Wei Ying took a lot of time to understand what was going on. "Lan ZHAN!" He rapped his knuckles harshly on Lan Wangji's head.

"Ouch!"

"I've been spending all eighteen years of my life trying to learn hard so that I can be at your side without being laughed at by the world, never failing to relish and cherish the memories from my past life to make sure that I won't forget you, and you assume my SISTER is my WIFE? HOW could I ever MARRY anyone ELSE?"

"S... Sister?"

"Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan, you silly fuddy-duddy!" Wei Ying pointed to his family. "A-Ning. He's Wei Ning, my little brother, two years younger than me. A-Qing. She's Wei Qing, my older sister, jiejie."

"Jiejie..." Lan Zhan gulped. "S– Sorry..."

Wei Ying chuckled. "Though I must say, jealous Lan Zhan always looks cute," he grinned cheekily, eyes glinting with mischief.

"And A-Yuan?"

"A-Yuan is Wei Yuan. My son. I adopted the fellow. Only recently, when I turned eighteen. This senior from high school happened to be a great friend of mine. He was several grades older than me, but protected me whenever bullies attacked. Good friends, we were. He had a child with his wife, but both died right after in an accident. So I brought A-Yuan up. And formally adopted him months ago as Wei Yuan. Happy now?"

Lan Zhan couldn't help but smile with relief. "Mn."

"You're smiling!"

"Mn."

"Lan Zhan, you don't know how much I've missed that gorgeous smile of yours..."

"And me, yours."

Wei Ying grinned. "So? Smart and beautiful Second Young Master Lan became Vice-President of Seraphim Tea after all?"

"Mn."

"And your music?"

"Did a PhD."

"Oh?"

"Mn. Research with the help of the books in our study. The ancient ones. And I mastered your song. Our song."

"WangXian?"

"Mn."

Wei Ying squealed inwardly. Finally, they could play it together like they had before. "Ey, is that wine, I see?"

"Mn. Kept my promise."

"Ever had a sip?"

"No."

"Aish..." Wei Ying shook his head with a snort, grabbed the Bordeaux and popped the lid open. "Mmmm, smells scrumdiddlyumptious!" He laughed, before sipping on it a bit. "Wah! Chef's kiss! Lan Zhan, you know my tastes by instinct!"

"Well, you did call me your soulmate..." Lan Zhan shrugged.

"Hahahaha! Lan Zhan, you're finally getting more humorous! But... somebody here deserves a good punishment for assuming I'd ever dare marry anyone but you."

That means he will marry me. I don't even need to ask! Lan Zhan beamed with delight. "Any punishment, I shall accept."

"Then prepare yourself to have the first taste of wine in all your thirty-three years of bland-food life!" Wei Ying gulped down more wine, smacked his lips, grinned in a most unholy way, and decided to ignore anyone else there in the park. Yes, they were two men. Yes, he was fifteen years younger than his lover. Yes, one was a Vice-President and the other was a web developer. And that's all the world would see.

But they, and their families, knew far more than that. They were two men who had waited for eighteen years, patiently, devoutly, to meet at long last. Both had risen to be the toppers in their fields just to avoid any trouble in the future.

Yes, they were probably going to be despised by the world.

But they could hardly care less. Let the world go down in flames of fury, at least they had one another.

Which........ was all each had wanted all along, anyway.

So without a moment of hesitation, Wei Ying grabbed Lan Zhan's chin, cupped his neck and turned him around to face his smiling impish face, before capturing Lan Zhan's lips in his own, kissing him softly and tenderly at first, but slowly deepening the kiss into a more heated and passionate one. Wei Ying gripped his neck, pushing him in deeper, while Lan Zhan curled his arms around Wei Ying's slender waist, pulling him closer, as though each was trying to make up for the eighteen years without any of this intimacy. 

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"Ah? Why's Papa and that uncle– Mmm!"

Wei Ning stuffed Wei Yuan's mouth with Christmas cake, avoiding his sister's glaring eyes. He quickly turned the little boy away from them and pointed to the sky.

"A-Yuan," Wei Qing shook her head. "Don't look at Papa."

"But I want to go to Papa! That uncle's a stranger! Papa said no talking to strangers!"

"A-Yuan, it's adult stuff."

Wei Yuan pouted in puzzlement and Wei Ning quickly pointed to the sky. "A-Yuan, look!"

"Kitey! Kitey! Kitey! I want a kitey, too!"

"What kind?"

"Butterfwy kitey!"

"Okie," Wei Ning grinned, talking in toddler language as he pointed towards a stall nearby, selling beautiful kites on Christmas Day. "How about that kitey shop?" 

"YIPPEE!" Wei Yuan abandoned his uncle and aunt and dashed towards the store. Both the elders looked at the boy's father and the man he was kissing so ravenously.

No, both were the boy's fathers, come to think of it.

"Jiejie."

"A-Ning?"

"That's A-Yuan's Dada, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"So that's why you keep telling A-Yuan to call gege Papa?"

"Yes. I'm guessing that's the Lan Zhan he's been looking for."

"Well, gege found him in the end!"

"Yes. Now come on, that fellow's going to buy the whole shop!" Wei Qing grabbed his hand and ran to the kites stall. 

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ 🎶 ❄️ ❄️❄️

Lan Wangji pulled back first. "Enough, too many crowds."

"Who cares? Not me. And not you."

"Certainly not me, true. But things are getting more heated."

Wei Ying grinned. "Yes, I sensed that, too. Then... should I come see you and Xichen-ge tomorrow?"

"Where do you work? Or study?"

"Nah, I quit school early and did a course and already started web developing. Why?"

"Then join us. Company's web designer."

"Eh? Depends on the salary," Wei Ying stifled a grin, pretending to look serious.

"Salary... I'll talk with gege."

"No talking. You give me what I want, and I'll join you tomorrow morning itself."

Lan Wangji's jaw dropped open. "Any amount!"

"I want everything. From this, to this," he pointed to Lan Zhan's head and toe.

A gentle rosy shade settled atop Lan Zhan's ears of jade. "Fine. All you wish."

"Hurray! Accommodation?"

"You get to stay in my room if you wish."

"Ey, I have a son!"

"I'll take all of you. Full package."

Wei Wuxian couldn't help but laugh. "Jiejie and didi, too?"

"Mn."

"Aw, Lan Zhan... No, jiejie will hate to live on another's premises, she's a fiery free spirit. She'll stay at didi's apartment. Then, A-Yuan and I will come to your place, eh?"

"Mn."

"But give me time... I need to talk to A-Yuan. Also, Lan Zhan, nobody marries at eighteen... We need time for all this..."

"Date and work together for two years. Marry when you're twenty."

"Why, you!" Wei Ying smacked his chest. "Got it all planned and sorted, eh?"

"Mn. Even have a wardrobe for you... Changed the single bed to a queen-sized one last year..."

Wei Wuxian burst out laughing. "You really do trust me."

"After two years, you and A-Yuan can come in."

"Okay, I'll stay with him at my own apartment till then."

"Also, A-Ying, I need an extra key to your house."

"Aish, alright, alright! Stalker. Wait, what did you call me?"

"A... A-Ying..."

"Yay!" Wei Ying smooched him noisily on the cheek. "Lan Zhan, I really can't do this here in the park, you're too much for my yearning soul. Your place? Or mine?"

Lan Zhan grinned and shrugged. "Gege's busy with his family at home."

"Xichen-ge?"

"Married your A-Cheng. Two kids."

"Oh God, really! Looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do!"

"Later," Lan Zhan grabbed his hand and stood, dragging him out of the park.

"OI!" A woman shouted from behind them. "How are you getting into your house without the keys?"

"Oh..." Wei Ying tugged on Lan Zhan's sleeve and both turned around.

"Don't worry about A-Yuan," Wei Qing sauntered up to them. "A-Ning and I will take him home to his place. Papa's gone for a party, okay? Don't tell a different lie next morning."

"Yes, Madam!" Wei Wuxian saluted her naughtily before snatching the keys and hurrying away from her thrashing fists with his beloved.

"Auntie!" Wei Yuan ran up to her. "Where did Papa go?"

"Papa went to a party."

"Oh? Why did he go with that stranger?"

Wei Qing knelt on the snow and held his shoulder. "That's no stranger, A-Yuan. That's your Dada."

"Dada?"

Both uncle and aunt nodded happily.

"A-Yuan has a DADA!" He shrieked, letting out his butterfly kite into the sky, squealing and hopping as he savoured the way 'Dada' sounded on his tongue and watched the kite fly up, soaring across the regal blue. 

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❄️ 🍃 THE END 🍃 ❄️

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