In the Night, Beauty

Wei Wuxian is an orphan twice over, considered a bad omen and avoided. Lan Wangji is the prince of Gusu, a man of exemplary character and well respected. Stuck together for a night, both men find in each other a companion they want forever. But Lan Wangji is royalty and Wei Wuxian doesn't stand a chance. When the Lan family throws their yearly Spring Ball, Wei Wuxian's friends conspire to get him to that party and win the heart of his man, but trouble has always followed Wei Wuxian's footsteps and disaster is just around the corner.

…

…

Chapter 1

One of Wei Wuxian's earliest memories is of sitting on the back of a donkey while his mother held him in place and his father held the reins, both of them smiling at him. He doesn't remember their faces so much, but he remembers those bright, happy smiles.

His next earliest memory is of lying in the road, every inch of him aching. It was raining, but his hand was lying in something warm, thick, and wet. It was a terrible accident, people told him later. Many people died. But Wei Wuxian didn't remember the other people lying with him. He remembered his small fingers clutching his mother's sleeve. He remembered telling her he was in pain.

He remembered she never answered.

With no other family to claim him, Wei Wuxian was lost in the world. There was no orphanage in the town nearest where his parents died, so he wandered the streets, surviving on trash and the pity of others. Those who were not sympathetic to him set their dogs on him. A child can only get bitten so many times before the scars stop being merely physical.

That was how Jiang Fengmian found him. Dirty, skinny from hunger, scared. "I knew your parents," he said. "Would you like to come live with me and my family?"

Wei Wuxian remembered smiling.

But it was not to last.

…

…

"Wei Wuxian!"

Wei Wuxian cringed at the shout and the shuttlecock he was kicking went flying into the bushes. Before he could dart after it, a stout and stately woman entered the yard. She had her hair pulled back into a bun, with elaborate golden hair pins and dangling golden earrings, and even her clothing had golden stitching. At her appearance, Wei Wuxian quickly bowed, his long black hair flopping around his shoulders.

"Madam Jin," he greeted with a smile.

She frowned at him. "Are you wasting time again?"

Though Wei Wuxian tried to maintain eye contact, Madam Jin still caught sight of the shuttlecock in the bushes behind him. She scowled.

"You have work to do around the house but you spend your time playing like a child," she scolded. "Do you think you are a son of this family?"

Of course he wasn't. He may sleep in the main house and eat dinner with the rest of the family, but he was always seated at the far end and his room was separated from everyone else's. He was meant to work with the rest of the staff to clean, cook, repair, and serve in the household.

He was not Jiang Yanli, engaged to marry Madam Jin's eldest son in less than two months. He was not Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli's biological brother and son of Jin Guangshan's old friend and classmate.

Smiling, Wei Wuxian gave another bow. "I'll get back to work, Madam Jin." He held up three fingers. "Promise."

Huffing, Madam Jin turned and walked away. Though she muttered it to herself, Wei Wuxian still heard her complaining about bad luck and ungrateful orphans. He stuck his tongue out at her back.

Ungrateful, his foot.

Retrieving his toy, Wei Wuxian went to find the head cook. She would shake her head and send Wei Wuxian away. None of the staff ever wanted Wei Wuxian's help because every time he tried to do a job, he ended up breaking something or doing the job so badly it took twice as long to undo what he did and set it right than to simply not let him try. It had happened with the cooks, with the laundress, with the cleaners, with the stable master, with every area of work in the Jin house. But as long as Wei Wuxian asked one of them for a job, they would insist to Madam Jin that he had done something productive and helpful – if only to avoid being forced to give him a job.

Then Wei Wuxian could slip out of the house and take a walk about town, safely out of Madam Jin's sight.

…

…

Wei Wuxian loved wandering about town. Unlike the Jin family, the people in town loved him. Shop owners gave him free samples of their wares. Children ran up to play with him. People blushed when he flirted with them, but no one took it seriously and they laughed about it later. And they called him "Young Master Wei." No one in the Jin household did that.

The misfortune that seemed to follow Wei Wuxian around did sometimes bleed into his time in town. He had knocked over a few stands on accident, or while fleeing his brother or a dog. Stores he went to got robbed, but he also tended to catch the thieves.

Once, a store he loved to visit burned down. For a while, people whispered that it was the dark energy following him that did it. It took more than three weeks before anyone spoke to him again, but then his bright smiles and personality won the people over once more.

Today, Wei Wuxian haggled over the price of loquats with the elderly woman who sold them.

"They're already discounted, Young Master," she chastised, but it was in a kindly way like a grandmother.

He smiled at her like one should to their grandmother. "Aren't I your favorite customer, though, Dajie?" He fluttered his eyes.

A laugh burst out of the shopkeeper and she smacked his arm. "You are shameless!"

Wei Wuxian laughed too, loud and clear. The sound drew attention, as it always did, and those nearby gave their own smiles in return.

"Fine, fine," the woman acquiesced. "You can have them for half price because you made me laugh." She started to hand them over but pulled back just before Wei Wuxian could take them. "And if you deliver something for me."

Wei Wuxian pouted. "Delivery? What am I? Your staff?"

She was still smiling at him as she handed over a small package. "A gift for my grandson," she told him. "Perhaps he will smile more after meeting you."

With a bow and a promise, Wei Wuxian left the shop with his loquats and his delivery safe in hand.

…

…

One would think making a simple delivery would be a quick process, considering Wei Wuxian wasn't even leaving the neighborhood. But no. Not for Wei Wuxian.

Three more shop owners called him over to give him samples of their food and asked him to tell everyone how good it was as he went, so he was soon laden with little bags of produce and snacks.

Still more people dragged him into conversation about this or that, about gossip or scary stories, about what his family was up to, about favorite foods and drinks, and wouldn't let him leave until he pouted that he was on an errand for "granny" and shifted around like a restless child. Then they laughed and shoved him off, many demanding promises that he would come drink with them soon, which he never turned down.

He found a child walking around with dirty clothes and gave her all of his remaining loquats and half of the food he'd been handed.

"Do you have parents? Why are you wandering alone?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

She nodded and spoke around a mouthful of loquat. "Mommy and daddy got sick. The neighbor took them to a doctor. They're not back yet."

"Ah," Wei Wuxian let out with an exaggerated nod. "And how long have they been gone?" If they weren't back yet and the girl was wandering on her own, it was possible they had died and no one told their child.

The little girl counted on her fingers. "Two days."

Two days. That wasn't good, but it also wasn't too bad. Maybe her parents were just sick and in the hospital. Still, someone should have been keeping an eye on the child. Wei Wuxian frowned, keeping it exaggerated for the girl. "You've been left alone for two days? How terrible."

She nodded a lot and very quickly, then stuffed another loquat into her mouth. Wei Wuxian smiled brightly at her and she smiled back.

Stage whispering to the little girl, Wei Wuxian leaned in and said, "If they're still gone and you get too hungry, there's a tavern called Qiting that will give you food if you help them clean up. They're really nice."

All of a sudden, the little girl threw herself at Wei Wuxian, wrapping her little arms around him as best she could in a hug. He blinked rapidly in surprise, but recovered and gave her a quick but warm hug in return.

"You're really nice," the girl said into his shoulder before pulling away. "Thank you."

Wei Wuxian tapped her on the nose and she screwed up her face trying to see. He screwed his face up in turn to make her laugh. Then he told her what he told everyone else – he had an errand to run for granny – and sent her on her way.

As he watched her wander off, hoping her parents were alright and would return for her, Wei Wuxian caught sight of a man in light blue robes a short distance away. The man gave the smallest of jolts when Wei Wuxian spotted him, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. Wei Wuxian smiled and waved at him in greeting, but the man only turned and walked away.

Wei Wuxian frowned. "Aww," he mumbled aloud. "He was really pretty too."

Perhaps a bit too serious, if the flat look on his face was anything to go by, but that had never stopped Wei Wuxian from flirting before. It also hadn't done anything to stop Wei Wuxian's heart from leaping in his chest in excitement. It felt like a missed opportunity. After all, he had never seen someone that beautiful in Lanling before. He probably lived elsewhere in the Kingdom of Gusu and was just passing through while traveling. They would likely never meet again. Wei Wuxian did his best to tamp down his disappointment so he could make the shopkeeper's delivery with a bright smile.

…

…

The shopkeeper's grandson really was a sad child. He was only about three or four but, like Wei Wuxian at that age, had recently lost his parents. Unlike Wei Wuxian, he found it hard to smile. Wei Wuxian had spent the better part of two hours playing with the kid and teasing smiles and giggles out of him. The child's aunt had been very grateful for the help cheering him up, and for the rest of the snacks Wei Wuxian gifted her. But wouldn't he just get sad again once the memory of play time with Wei Wuxian faded?

"Ah," he shook it off. "He's got a good grandmother and a good aunt. He'll be alright."

Just as he said this, he heard someone call, "Yah! Wei Wuxian!"

Turning, Wei Wuxian was met with Jiang Cheng, his adoptive brother. Jiang Cheng's hair was shorter than Wei Wuxian's but still long. It was their faces that really set them apart. Where Wei Wuxian had a natural smiling face and generally gentle countenance, Jiang Cheng was all hard lines and harder expression. But it was his dear brother's face and Wei Wuxian loved it despite its mean qualities.

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei Wuxian hurried to throw his arm over Jiang Cheng's shoulders.

Jiang Cheng frowned at him. "I see you're skipping out on the chores. As always."

Wei Wuxian whined. "You say that, but you never have to do any chores, Young Master Jiang." He dramatically bemoaned, "Our sister marries into wealth and you become rich with her, while I am doomed to scrubbing floors!"

Shoving him off, Jiang Cheng snapped, "If you hadn't been kicked out of school for causing trouble, maybe the Jin family would be nicer to you."

It was a mean thing to say, but Wei Wuxian didn't say so. It was true that Wei Wuxian had been kicked out of school. He and Jiang Cheng had attended together for almost two years after they were taken in by the Jin family upon their sister's engagement. But the teachers had a habit of singling out students to pick on and Wei Wuxian hadn't been able to stand it. He'd talked back. He'd argued. He had made their teacher's lives difficult in return. He drew all the negative attention to himself. But, except for the students who used to be picked on, no one seemed to notice what he was doing. They just saw him as a troublemaker and condemned him.

And he was tossed out. A shame to the Jiang family who raised him and a shame to the Jin family who currently claimed him.

Wei Wuxian shook his head, brushing the negative thoughts away. "How was school, anyway?" Jiang Cheng sighed and Wei Wuxian pointed at him with a laugh. "You're bored, aren't you? You miss me in class!"

"As if!" Jiang Cheng snapped, though his cheeks were turning pink and he looked uncomfortable, like he'd been exposed. "I learn a lot better since you've been gone!" Wei Wuxian laughed at his brother's insistence, which only seemed to make him more uncomfortable. "What do you want for your birthday?"

The reminder cut off Wei Wuxian's laughter immediately, even though it was a terrible attempt at a subject change. One week. He turned eighteen in one week. He would be considered an adult in one week. The Jin family might very well be done with him in one week.

One week.

Wei Wuxian shook his head and frowned playfully at Jiang Cheng. "Are you saying you haven't gotten me a present yet? What a terrible brother you are!"

Jiang Cheng scoffed and started walking down the road, back toward the Jin household. Wei Wuxian let out a displeased noise and grabbed Jiang Cheng by the sleeve to stop him.

"Whatever you get me will be great, Jiang Cheng," he said, honestly. Jiang Cheng didn't face him. "I'll love it."

For a few long seconds, neither man moved. No doubt Jiang Cheng didn't know how to respond to Wei Wuxian's honesty. He always complained that Wei Wuxian was never serious, but every time Wei Wuxian was serious, he floundered and clammed up.

Finally, Jiang Cheng pulled his sleeve from Wei Wuxian's fingers. "You'd better not be late for dinner tonight. If you miss the memorial, you'll never live to see your birthday anyway."

With that, he stalked off. Wei Wuxian saluted behind him, wordlessly promising to be there. There was no way he would miss the death anniversary memorial for his adoptive parents. They had given him so much. He owed them everything.

But there were still a few hours until dinner, and Wei Wuxian wasn't going back to the house until he absolutely had to.

So, hadn't someone asked him to come drinking with them earlier? Wei Wuxian headed off to find them.

…

…

Wei Wuxian was nearly skipping as he headed home for dinner later, a jar of alcohol at his side leftover from his earlier escapades. He was warm and feeling good, just the right shade of tipsy. He would be fine for the memorial by the time he got home, and would offer this excellent alcohol to the spirits of Jiang Fangmien and Madam Yu.

Just imagining the look of consternation on Jiang Cheng's face, and the small laughter of Jiang Yanli beside him, had Wei Wuxian giggling.

Something crashed just around the corner and Wei Wuxian's humor vanished. People were laughing, so perhaps they were playing a game, but there was a soft, almost wounded sound as well. Frowning, Wei Wuxian hurried around the corner.

Nine men in their early twenties were taking turns kicking buckets and baskets at a target, and that target was a tall, broad shouldered teen named Wen Ning, cowering against the wall. Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes and let out a loud, aggravated sigh.

"Yah!" he shouted to catch their attention. They stopped kicking things at Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian put his hands on his hips like an angry parent, then jabbed his finger at them. "Haven't I told you before? How dare you still pick on Wen Ning? What did he do to you?"

It wasn't like Wei Wuxian expected the men to run screaming at the sight of him, but he also didn't expect them to each take up a challenging pose and glare at him. He had beaten each of these guys up at least once since the Jin family took him in. Admittedly those were one-on-one fights, or one-against-two, but still. They weren't usually this bold.

"He looks weird," one explained sensibly.

"He's an orphan," another added, and kicked the bucket next to him into Wen Ning's arm, making him whine again.

Anger flared in Wei Wuxian's gut. "Like that's a reason," he hissed out, clenching his fists at his sides. "You'll regret that."

He ran at the nearest thug and landed a punch to his gut before anyone could react. But then the moment of surprise was gone. Two others grabbed him by the arms. Wei Wuxian threw one into the other and then hurried to pull Wen Ning to a standing position. The poor guy was pale and shivering in fear.

"Go," Wei Wuxian told him. "I'll handle this."

Nodding jerkily, as if his body stuttered as much as his lips when he spoke, Wen Ning hurried away. Wei Wuxian spared a moment to think about how Wen Ning was probably running to his sister for help, and then he was rudely brought back to the situation by a kick to his back that sent him sprawling. Rolling over, Wei Wuxian jumped back to his feet before they could start kicking him in earnest.

A punch here, a kick there. More than once, Wei Wuxian sent one of the guys toppling into the dirt. He wasn't winning the fight – there were too many of them for that – but he was keeping them occupied and focused on him instead of chasing Wen Ning. Someone caught him in the cheek, another twisted his arm, and then a third knocked his feet out from under him.

The original guy he had punched was back on his feet and returned the blow with gusto. Wei Wuxian gasped. That hurt a lot more than expected. Both of his arms were grabbed again and held behind him.

"You always act so tough. Always the hero," one of the guys spat with a glare. "But when it matters, who's on your side, huh? Who's gonna come to your rescue?"

The guy standing behind the speaker let out a choking sound and collapsed to the ground. Everyone turned to look.

A man dressed in light blue robes, with black hair long enough to rival Wei Wuxian's and an expression so serious it put ice to shame, stood there, his hand up by where the thug's neck used to be. His nose was long and refined, his cheekbones high, his eyes slim. Wei Wuxian's earlier thought still stood. Despite looking entirely too serious, this was definitely the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life.

Wei Wuxian grinned. "Hey," he half sang in greeting, attempting to wave. It didn't work so well, given his hands were held behind his back.

The man turned light eyes on Wei Wuxian for a moment, just long enough to acknowledge his presence, before focusing on the thugs instead. The ones not holding Wei Wuxian began to circle around him.

"What?" the main speaker of the thugs demanded. "Do you want to die too?"

The beautiful man was unfazed. "Nine against one is unfair."

Whoa. His voice was as nice as his face. Wei Wuxian's flirty grin melted into something softer and he went lax in the grips of his captors.

The fluttery feeling in his chest dimmed as the fight started up once more. The blue robed man fluidly dodged their punches and kicks and grabs, moving like water between them. He didn't hit any of them, though. Instead, he maneuvered among them until he was beside Wei Wuxian. Only then did he throw a punch. The guy holding Wei Wuxian's right arm went down hard. Grinning again, Wei Wuxian used his free hand to reach out and grab the collar of the guy holding his left arm. He yanked the guy down and rammed their heads together.

It knocked out his opponent, but also left him dizzy for a few seconds. Holding his head, he groaned, "Ow. Not my best idea."

The man in blue didn't roll his eyes, but by god it looked like he wanted to. Even that made Wei Wuxian grin again.

The man grabbed the wrist of an attacker trying to punch Wei Wuxian while he was distracted. Wei Wuxian kicked the attacker in the leg and punched him in the chest while he was held in place. After the guy went down, Wei Wuxian and the blue clad man stood back to back. They parried attacks and threw ones of their own, but never strayed far from each other. Working together, they even got two of the thugs to run away in fear. It felt like they had done this a million times, like they had practiced together so often they knew each other's thoughts.

It was exhilarating.

Seven against two was still bad odds, but they were doing well. Wei Wuxian would actually say they were winning. And then he heard it.

Arf arf!

He froze, stumbled back, bumped into the blue robed man, grabbed his wrist in terror. His ally looked at him in mild confusion. Then the dog came into view. It was large and brown and white. Wei Wuxian didn't know the breed and he didn't want to know it. He wanted out. He wanted away.

The remaining thugs noticed his fear and grinned as the dog was brought over by one of the men who had run away before. The second guy who had run was right behind him holding the leash of another large dog.

"You may be tough," one of them said. "But we know your weakness. Get him, boys."

He and his companion dropped the leashes. The dogs charged forward. Wei Wuxian screamed and took off running, around the corner, down the street, running, running, running. The dogs were close behind. Their barking and growling kept him going around new corners and past stores and houses.

Finally, someone jerked him to the side, through an open door. The door slammed shut behind them just as the dogs arrived, blocking them out. Wei Wuxian huddled in a crouch, shivering worse than Wen Ning had, until the sound of the dogs had long since disappeared.

"Hm."

Wei Wuxian jumped and lifted his head. The man in blue was before him, frowning. Wei Wuxian frowned too. How was this guy— His eyes landed on his hand, still gripping the guy's wrist so tight it might leave a bruise. He let go like he'd been bitten and laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that." He stood up, rocking on his heels a few times to expel the leftover tension in his legs. "I'm not good with dogs."

"I noticed," the man said. Wei Wuxian couldn't tell if he was trying to be mean or not, but decided on not.

This was not the great first impression he wanted to leave on the most beautiful man in the universe.

Giving a wobbly smile, Wei Wuxian said, "Well, thanks for helping me. You're a great fighter."

"You too," the man said simply.

Wei Wuxian held out his hand. "My name is Wei Wuxian, but since you saved my life, you can call me Wei Ying," he introduced with a wink.

After a moment so long Wei Wuxian thought he wasn't going to answer, the other man took the offered hand. "Lan Zhan."

Humming and squeezing Lan Zhan's hand, Wei Wuxian said, "Lan Zhan. I like that name." He beamed.

It was hard to tell in the dim light of the room, but Lan Zhan's ears might have turned pink. That was such a cute way to blush!

Wei Wuxian held Lan Zhan's hand with both of his own. "Do you want to have dinner with me?" he asked in a rush. He shook his head. "I mean, we're having a death memorial tonight, so it might be a little morose, but you don't have to stay for that. Or we could have dinner tomorrow? Do you want to have dinner tomorrow?"

His deluge of words kept Lan Zhan quiet for several long moments, but his expression was contemplative, not dismissive. It was clear that Lan Zhan carefully thought about his words before speaking. It was a trait Wei Wuxian had never mastered, but he liked it here.

"If you don't mind, dinner tonight would be nice," Lan Zhan accepted at length, inclining his head as if bowing.

Wei Wuxian beamed again. "Great. Come on then. It's getting late."

Except when he tried the door, it wouldn't budge. Embarrassed, he gave another nervous giggle and tried again. Nothing. He turned big eyes on Lan Zhan. Without him having to say a word, Lan Zhan came over and tried the door too. It didn't move at all. Even working together, the door was sealed shut.

"Hey!" Wei Wuxian yelled, pounding on the door. "Is anyone out there?! Hello! We're stuck in here!"

He kept yelling, calling for help, until his throat started to hurt, and then only because Lan Zhan put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him.

…

…

The room they were in was full of pots of various liquids and powders and crates of food. Clearly the storeroom for a restaurant of some kind. There were countless shelves and cabinets, but no chairs or benches. There was enough floor space that Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan could lay down to sleep if they didn't mind their arms touching, or the dirt.

"Ah, it's so late," Wei Wuxian noted, glimpsing the fading light under the door. He would miss dinner at this rate. And the memorial.

If this was a restaurant, then they were already closed for the night and wouldn't return for ingredients until morning.

A few steps away, Lan Zhan's stomach grumbled. He looked so embarrassed by his own body's reaction that Wei Wuxian held in his laughter. Instead he patted a barrel of dried fruit and grinned. "Good thing we're in a room full of food, huh? We can have dinner."

"That's stealing."

Wei Wuxian stared at Lan Zhan for a long moment, and Lan Zhan stared back evenly. Whose stomach had just complained? Who was the hungrier of the two of them? What was the harm in eating a few fruits? But the look on Lan Zhan's face was so serious. Why did he care so much? It wasn't like they had to live by the thousands of laws the ruling family di—

Lan. King Xichen. Lan Xichen.

Stumbling back a step, Wei Wuxian covered his mouth with a hand. "Lan Zhan!"

Lan Zhan's expression turned a shade uncomfortable but he didn't say a word. That quiet demeanor! Those ethereally beautiful looks! How serious he was!

"Lan Zhan! You're related to the king!"

Now Lan Zhan dropped his gaze. That was answer enough.

This man, trapped with Wei Wuxian in a storage room, was royalty! Had Wei Wuxian said or done anything to offend him? Would it bring shame to his siblings?

Except Lan Zhan kept his eyes downcast. There was a slight droop to his stiff shoulders. A muscle in his jaw tensed. He was…unhappy, but not mad. Wei Wuxian's pulse slowed. He lowered his hand.

"Hey, Lan Zhan. Are there really two thousand rules?" Wei Wuxian asked, keeping his voice light. "You really have to follow that many rules? Ah, I couldn't do it. I'd be kicked out in a day."

He put his arms behind his head and leaned against one of the shelves. It creaked ominously and he jumped away from it.

"Three thousand."

"Hm?" Wei Wuxian focused back on Lan Zhan, who finally met his eyes again.

"There are three thousand rules," Lan Zhan clarified, his voice carrying smoothly in the dark.

A laugh burst out of Wei Wuxian that Lan Zhan clearly didn't know how to react to. Wei Wuxian plopped down on the ground, still grinning, and pointed up at Lan Zhan. "You're a better man than I'll ever be. Three thousand? Ah. Too much, too much."

When his humor had lessened – and it wasn't like Lan Zhan had been trying to be funny, anyway – Wei Wuxian leaned back against some crates, crossed his arms, and tilted his head curiously at his companion.

"What's a relative of the king doing wandering in this part of town anyway? It's so far from the palace."

There was another long moment of silence as Lan Zhan considered Wei Wuxian, staring at him like he could see all of his secrets on his face. Then he took two steps to close the distance between them and, in one fluid motion, settled on the dusty ground beside Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian stared at him in shock. The royal family! Sitting in the dirt! Would this guy never stop surprising him?

"I like to see how the people live," Lan Zhan admitted, his eyes on his hands, clasped in his lap.

Tales of King Xichen's kindness were well known. Anyone from any corner of the kingdom could approach him for help and he would answer them as if they were the highest of nobility. The Lan family had always been that way – save a few exceptions – all the way back to the founding of Gusu. Finding out that his relatives also cared about the lives of the common people should not have been surprising, but Wei Wuxian's heart was doing flips in his chest. He felt warm all over, like he was sitting too close to a fire.

To cover up his overreaction to what should have been a simple statement, Wei Wuxian started to talk.

He told Lan Zhan all about the people in this area of the city. About the restaurant owners and their families, about the blacksmith and the goldsmith and the silversmith, about the carpenters and barbers and doctors, about the taverns and story houses, the shops and street vendors, and all the people he knew by name. And the whole time, Lan Zhan kept his gaze steady on Wei Wuxian's. His eyes grew softer the longer Wei Wuxian spoke, the more he gestured, the more passionate he became. So Wei Wuxian kept talking, because he wanted to keep that look on that face, to make the moment last. He only faltered once, when telling Lan Zhan about the gaggle of kids he often ran into, because Lan Zhan smiled and Wei Wuxian's brain stopped functioning.

"Wow, you're gorgeous."

The smile vanished from Lan Zhan's face in an instant and Wei Wuxian barely resisted the urge to smack himself. He held up his hands as if in defense.

"I mean, I'm sure people tell you that all the time. If they don't then they're blind, obviously. But, I just mean, you have no idea how you look when you smile, do you? It's wonderful!" He waved his hands around. "This isn't making it any less awkward, is it? I'm sorry. Sometimes I have no control over this mouth." He squeezed his eyes shut and tapped his mouth a few times like he was scolding it.

"Not awkward."

Lan Zhan's ears were definitely red, even in the darkness that had overtaken the room. He glanced away briefly before meeting Wei Wuxian's eyes.

"Wei Ying is also wonderful."

Was it warm in there before? Wei Wuxian felt positively boiling. He laughed nervously again. "A-ah." He rubbed his nose. "Thank you."

What was he meant to do now? He had flirted with dozens of people – probably everyone his age or older in town – and had never been at such a loss for words. His heart had never raced like this, like it was out of his control. He had never been so flustered by a compliment before in his life!

His stomach broke the moment by growling. If Lan Zhan's had been a mumble, Wei Wuxian's was a roar. He flushed in embarrassment and looked away toward the door. There was no light shining under it anymore. Only dim starlight peeked through the tiny, high windows and around the door frame. Dinner time had long come and gone.

"Whose memorial?"

Wei Wuxian kept his gaze on the bottom of the door for a long few moments before taking a deep breath. "My adoptive parents." He let out a small huff that couldn't be considered a laugh. "Losing two sets in one lifetime. I'm rather unlucky, aren't I, Lan Zhan?"

Lan Zhan didn't answer and they sat in silence.

The Jiang family had taken Wei Wuxian in off the streets. Jiang Fengmian had cared for him like his own son, while Madam Yu had tolerated him and scolded him by turns. Still, he had loved them both. They had done so much for him, for Jiang Yanli, for Jiang Cheng. Then they were killed by members of the Wen family for daring to report them to the king for treason.

How ironic that Wei Wuxian's closest friends were from that same family. Though Wen Ning was so damaged by his time in their care that he shied away from strangers, Wen Qing had tried to save the Jiang family with her skills as a doctor, and Wei Wuxian had already been friends with them for years before the murders occurred. Luckily, it had only taken Wei Wuxian a week or so to remember that a family name shouldn't condemn a person. That their own actions should.

And what would Wei Wuxian's siblings think of his actions tonight? Missing a death anniversary memorial. How arrogant. How rude. How disrespectful. Did he think so little of the family that raised him that he would skip the memorial to go drinking instead?

He sent a silent prayer to the spirits of Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu, asking their forgiveness for his absence.

A crate creaked open and Wei Wuxian realized Lan Zhan had left his side. Moments later, a bowl was pushed gently into his hands. Under Lan Zhan's watchful eyes, Wei Wuxian lifted the bowl and sniffed its contents. Dried fruits. He tilted his head curiously.

"Just for today." Lan Zhan pushed on the bowl again, so that Wei Wuxian was holding it against his chest.

"Are you sure?" Wei Wuxian asked incredulously. "What about your three thousand rules?"

Lan Zhan gave a small shake of his head. "Eat."

Wei Wuxian glanced between the bowl against his chest and Lan Zhan. He didn't know why Lan Zhan would let him break the rules, but he definitely wasn't going to break them alone. "Only if you eat too, Lan Zhan." He stood up and grabbed more of the dried fruit from the box, overfilling his bowl before plopping back down on the ground beside Lan Zhan. He held the bowl out between them. "Eat with me."

After a moment's hesitation, Lan Zhan slowly reached out to take a piece of dried fruit, then ate it. Wei Wuxian beamed at him and began to eat as well. It was good fruit, but it didn't have much flavor. A little spice would've been nice. This was mostly just dry.

"Ah," Wei Wuxian let out, reaching for the container at his hip. "I forgot. I meant to put this on the altar tonight, but, well—" He shrugged with a wry expression as he unhooked the container and held it up with the bowl of fruit. "Lan Zhan, do you want to drink with me?"

Lan Zhan shifted back, almost as if the bottle scared him. "No."

Grinning, Wei Wuxian jiggled the container at him. "I promise it's really good. Only the best for the memorial."

"Alcohol is only permitted at formal occasions," Lan Zhan recited dutifully.

"What could be more formal than sitting on the floor of a dusty storeroom far from home, eating dried fruits with the most handsome person in all of Gusu?" Wei Wuxian teased.

Lan Zhan glared at him, but there was little heat behind it. It was a glare for appearances only. "No."

Sighing, Wei Wuxian set the bowl of fruit on the floor between them and worked to uncork the bottle. "Fine. More for me." He downed a healthy gulp and let out a satisfied breath. "It really is very good."

Beside him, Lan Zhan sat with perfect posture, completely still. Wei Wuxian nudged him with his elbow. "Hey, Lan Zhan. Don't forget to eat. You were hungry even before I was, so I know you want more."

Even as he moved to follow Wei Wuxian's directions, Lan Zhan said, "Wei Ying too. Especially with alcohol."

Wei Wuxian smiled at him warmly for the care, and, though he couldn't be sure in the dark, he thought Lan Zhan smiled back.

…

…

tbc